Digital Capital Week begins runs through June 20 at sites across the city, and its topics and themes are spot-on—from connecting tech-savvy Washingtonians to projects on app development for mobile phones to sessions on the state of the media. The 10-day affair, inevitably, involves lots of sitting—workshops, listening sessions, demonstrations, networking events—but there’s also public art, parties, open studios and music.
Some days of the festival are dedicated to single topics, like news-publishing platforms and social media. CityCampDC, tomorrow and Sunday, looks at issues specific to D.C. neighborhoods. The festival is an ambitious undertaking, and organizers Frank Gruber and Peter Corbett—of Shiny Heart Ventures and iStrategy Labs, respectively—pulled it all together in just a few months.
And the goal is admirable: to drive innovation, particularly among private entrepreneurs in a city where government is the biggest business, Gruber says. Much of the action has a cultural drive, like a lab session mapping graffiti throughout the city, as well as a 10-day “innovation lab” in an unused library on H Street NE.
There are more than 100 events happening throughout the week if you want to attend mostly for the fun and art, and don’t need a new gig or project. A few events require an RSVP. A few arts- and culture-related highlights:
- Friday, June 11: Kick-off party, with dance performances by Urban Artisty, DJs, Live music, and video art.
- Sunday, June 13: Light Up Adams Morgan, with free beer and wine while discussing ways to animate the neighborhood.
- Thursday, June 17: Open studios on H Street NE.
- Friday, June 18: A closing party at the 9:30 Club that includes artists Amber Dutton, the Very Small, McWorm, 16 Large, Vedet, Stout Cortez, Blankus Larry, Little Big Heart, and East Coast Caravan.
- Saturday, June 19: Project Lab Showcases, Mini Film Fest including the premiere of Life in Perpetual Beta.
- Sunday, June 20: Flash Picnic on the National Mall
The Cultural Side of Digital Capital Week was originally published by Washington City Paper on Jun 11, 2010
