Press Play: Eyebeam

In this episode of Press Play, we visited Eyebeam, and we talked about Eyebeam’s mission and programs with Yidan Zeng, their Programs Associate and Sarah O’Connell, Program’s Manager. They are based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and you can watch their videos on nyxt.nyc/eyebeam.

All our programming and all our work are in creating spaces for artists and creative thinkers to come together and ask questions of who is this made for, who is this made by and who can create a more just and equable future for all of us.  - Yidan Zeng

NYXT: What are Eyebeam’s programs?

Sarah O’Connell: Right now, our main ones are the Eyebeam Residency Program, ECFJ which is Eyebeam Center for the Future of Journalism, we host onsite public programs, and then also our Youth Programs, which includes Students Residency and Digital Day Camp. 

NYXT: Do you collaborate with other organizations?

Sarah O’Connell: Eyebeam collaborates with many different institutions and specifically for Digital Day Camp, last year we hosted most of our workshops at NYU and this year we are doing a lot of our workshops at SVA, in addition to holding some here. We are also this year partnering with Cycling 74 and they are providing Max MSP licenses to all our students which is really amazing to make that program more accessible.

NYXT: How would you describe Eyebeam’s space?

Yidan Zeng: We try to create a space for artists and creative thinkers to really question what technology is used for and who is used for.

NYXT: What is the importance of the work that you do?

Yidan Zeng: What I think is really important in the work that we do is that we ask questions about what technology can be and what it can create. All our programming and all our work are in creating spaces for artists and creative thinkers to come together and ask questions of who is this made for, who is this made by and who can create a more just and equable future for all of us.