The Pixelversity programme for 2013 has taken it's shape for the year, with several themes continuing on from 2012 with new names, and a couple new addition themes: Waste/d, AV Research, Techno-ecologies, Knowledge & Experience sharing, Food-info-activism. Read more below.

The festival 2013 theme Facing North – Facing South influences around the year, and future thoughts related to multi- / trans- disciplinary capacity building around Commons issues, especially considering the local initiation of Commons.fi and other global discussions.

There is a continuation of the Trashlab theme with the Waste/d, programme with monthly Trashlab repair cafes initiated by Päivi Raivio, the Recycling Olympic Games (initiated by Justin Tyler Tate & Jan Pankovets of Culture Factory Polymer, Tallinn), new cooperation with Kierrätystehdas some planned waste management site expeditions, and again contribution to Wasteland Festival (Kouvola).

The AV Research theme began already in Autumn with Irina Spicaka joining Pixelache for 9 months to re-invigotate the audio-visual and VJ experiments in Pixelache. After engaging the regional AV-VJ community in a survey, a series of workshops on Creative Coding for Live Visuals were curated by Irina Spicaka as satellite events for April's AAVE Festival 2013 in Helsinki.

Techno-ecologies (as a continuation of Ecosystem & Environmental monitoring) aligns with developments in the bioarts and renewable network scenes, and develops in collaboration with RIXC Riga Centre for New Media Culture, Riga. There will be several summer workshops and camps which explore resilient agricultural technologies (Res Agri process continues led by Mikko Laajola), alternative energy sources, ecological & participatory science (Kemiö), as well as relations between environmental arts and activism (Pyhäjoki initiated by Mari Keski-Korsu).

Meanwhile, the Knowledge & Experience Sharing topic (as a continutation of Virtuality..) presents aspects of digital and social networked practice, including the use of online tools and interfaces, gift economy, archiving, streaming media & documentation. Also featured is the Control theme initiated by Jon Irigoyen. These events are mostly interactive discussion or round-circle orientated, to encourage participants to get involved. The highlight will be a 'virtuality'-themed conference event led by Owen Kelly at Arcada University of Applied Sciences (Helsinki), as a prelude to this year's Pixelache festival.

Last but no means least (we all eat!), the Food-info-activism theme culminates in a inter- / trans- disciplinary seminar on Food in September around harvest time, following several micro-residencies in the Pixelache office to give advice and perspective on what it might mean for us to engage with the current flourish of Helsinki Foodism. Our approach is developed in conversation with Ruoan Tulevaisuus (Future of Food) association.

In the near future each theme will have a dedicated page for each theme linked from Programme 2013 page. In the meantime, please consult our draft schedule.