Expedition Maker
The Great Jewish Craft Off
Be a Part of the Magic!
Expedition Maker is a reality-tv style competition creating a virtual makerspace for Jewish artists, creators, and innovators with a knack for DIY projects. Ten “Chosen Makers” from around the world will compete to win $5,000 over the course of four weeks in back-to-back weekly challenges where their skills, creativity, and ability to improvise will be showcased!
What is Expedition Maker?
Judges Select 10 Chosen Makers
Chosen Makers Complete 4 Challenges During One Month
Audience Members Vote on Who Makes it to the Grand Finale
Judges select Grand Makher and Winner of $5,000
You Should Apply if…
Deadline to apply: Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Check back at the end of January when we reveal the cast!
Meet the Judges
Rebecca Guber
Founder & Director
Asylum Arts
Rebecca Guber is the Director and Founder of Asylum Arts, a global network of 700 Jewish artists from 29 countries. She was previously the co-Founder and Director of the Six Points Fellowship. Rebecca has built a community of artists exploring Jewish ideas and identity through fellowship commissions for new work, grants, international retreats, and professional development.
Adina Polen
Founder & Executive Director
Atiq: Jewish Maker Institute
Adina Polen is the Founder and Executive Director of Atiq: Jewish Maker Institute, an applied arts yeshiva based in Berkeley, CA. Steeped in the do-it-yourself ethos of the Havurah movement and the teachings of Hasidut from her earliest days, she believes that multi-sensory opportunities for meaning-making sustain us as individuals, and strengthen our communities.
Yoshi Silverstein
Founder & Executive Director
Mitsui Collective
Yoshi Silverstein (he/him) is Founder and Executive Director of Mitsui Collective, which builds resilient community through embodied Jewish practice and racial equity. He is also Cleveland community organizer for Edot: The Midwest Regional Jewish Diversity Collaborative, a cohort six Schusterman Fellow, and is part of M² Institute for Experiential Jewish Education’s inaugural Jewish Pedagogies Circle.
FAQ
How do I participate in the Expedition Maker community?
- MAKE – Are you an artist or DIYer, apply to be a Chosen Maker and shoot your shot to win $5000
- PLAY – Be part of a growing online community of fun, thoughtful, Jewish young adults and join us LIVE weekly at our Maker Playshops to learn a new DIY skill and practice/meet with fellow Jewish young adults around the world! Connect personally with Jewish thought and tradition through art and get to know incredible Jewish creatives and their work!
- VOTE – Contribute to the Chosen Maker’s success by voting for your favorite Maker submissions.
- JOIN – Join our Facebook group and enjoy fun insider videos about at the Maker competition
- SHARE – Everyone loves a friendly competition, get a group of your friends together to create a fantasy team league!
Who can be a Chosen Maker?
- Jewish young adults ages 21-39 with expertise in a visual art form (woodworking, painting, crochet, photography, etc.) and an enthusiasm to share their unique perspective with the world on camera.
- Availability January 20 – February 20, 2021 to create four new works and video record the process, as well as meet with fellow Makers and staff for a video call, each week.
- Availability February 21 – March 21, 2021 to interact with voting audience through social media and potentially lead ‘playshops’ (interactive DIY tutorials via Zoom) for the audience.
Why apply to be a Chosen Maker?
- Compete to win $5,000 grand prize
- Exposure of your artwork and/or business to broad Jewish community
- Reignite your creativity with fun weekly challenges
- Connect personally and creatively with Jewish thought and tradition
- Join a network of fellow Jewish creatives
- Build your personal brand organically by connecting with hundreds of young adults
- Try something new and different; be adventurous and silly
How do I apply to be a Chosen Maker?
Submit a 2 minute video about yourself and showcasing your craft / practice and fill out the application form. Deadline to apply is January 5, 2021.
Is there a stipend for being a Chosen Maker?
We hope that this will be both a fun and meaningful experience for you, and also recognize that your time and effort should be compensated. To that end, each chosen maker will receive a $600 stipend over the course of the experience, divided into four payments of $150. An additional reimbursement for technical equipment or materials of up to $200 will also be available to those who need it.
What is the role of the Judges?
- Judges are esteemed professionals who represent nonprofit organizations that work with Jewish artists.
- Judges will select the cast of Chosen Makers from among the applicants, based on skill and ability to convey a unique perspective.
- Once the audience has selected the finalists through weekly voting, the Judges will select the grand prize winner from among the finalists, to crown the Chosen Makher.
Who can vote in the Maker competition?
Once the Chosen Makers respond to all four challenges, it is up to the audience to vote on who wins each week’s challenge (earning immunity) and moves on to the next round. Audience members are Jewish young adults ages 21-39 anywhere around the globe who register on the Expedition Maker website to participate.
How will I stay in touch with the people I meet through Expedition Maker?
The Expedition Maker Facebook group!
What is the time commitment / expectation for the Chosen Makers?
Chosen Makers will be asked to create one piece of art work per week in response to a prompt. It is up to each maker how much time they choose to dedicate to the work. In addition to creating the work and recording their process, each week makers will be asked to attend a 1 hour meeting with Expedition staff and record a short video discussing their experience. Some Makers will be invited to lead a Playshop for the audience during the live airing of the program, which will require additional planning time.
