For many young people, art can feel distant and inaccessible. Learning about art is often presented in traditional ways, with limited opportunities for interaction. There is a need for a playful and accessible way to discover art, both online and in their local environment. This is where the Art Catchers app comes in: a mobile AI-powered art game, where players scan artworks and answer quiz questions. They can earn ArtCoins and build their own virtual gallery. With leaderboards, party mode and 1v1 battles, learning about art becomes social, interactive and exciting.
Last year, four young people won the Future Matters Hackathon. With support from Waag Futurelab, the winners will further develop their project, Art Catchers, by creating a professional pitch and a corresponding business plan. The development process consists of four sessions, each bringing in experts from different disciplines to support, challenge and inspire the young people to take their idea further.
Session 1: Critical & Philosophical Thinking
During this session, three critical thinkers will challenge the young people on the Art Catchers concept. The young people will present their plan, after which the critical thinkers will explore three key questions:
- Originality
- Feasibility
- Integrity
The aim of this session is to help the young people understand what they are committing to and articulate why this concept should exist.
Session 2: Mock-up
During this workshop, an interaction designer/UX designer will work with the young people to create a strong mock-up of Art Catchers. The mock-up will help them better understand how the concept works, deepen the content and functionality, and give them a tangible tool to use in the sessions that follow.
Session 3: Entrepreneurship
This session focuses on developing the business plan. The young people will prepare by translating their ideas into a Responsible Business Model Canvas. An entrepreneur working with responsible technology will join the session to help them develop and strengthen the canvas.
Session 4: Partnerships (in collaboration with ELJA Foundation)
During this session, museums and other cultural institutions will be invited to explore potential partnerships with the young people. We would particularly like to invite partners from ELJA to take part.
Importantly, the focus is not only on delivering concrete results, but also on the learning process throughout each session. The young people are encouraged to understand what they are creating, why they are creating it, and how they can further develop their idea.
