We gathered for the first OpenOctober session to set intentions and align on what we want to create together. The spirit was clear: build openly, connect creatives and technologists, and strengthen Detroit’s community fabric.
Some themes that emerged:
Bridging tech and creative communities into one shared ecosystem.
Using AI and decentralized tools to give ownership back to artists and communities.
Exploring local-first social networks as alternatives to extractive platforms like Instagram.
Treating this month as both a sandbox for experiments and a chance to lay foundations for long-term collaboration.
🎨 Creative & Art Night Anchors
Artist Lending Platform – start with canvases, evolve into micro-loans, prints marketplace, and a creative credit system.
Art Night Record Label – new music, with transparent song ownership, logging, and royalty distribution.
Interactive Art – turning artworks into AI-powered characters people can “talk to.”
Scavenger Hunt / Merge Party Activation – Halloween-themed, tech-enabled game for the closing showcase.
🛠️ Tech Infrastructure
Decentralized Events Platform (ActivityPub, ATProto, etc.) to move beyond Instagram.
Local-First Social Network – proximity-based, Bluetooth/mesh network ideas to connect people physically in spaces like Art Night.
Expense & Treasury Tracking – transparent accounting for OpenOctober (receipts, donations, pizza, etc.).
Open Directory / Archive – long-term registry of projects, people, and meetups in Detroit’s scene.
🎶 Music & Media Rights
Creation Logs for Producers – timestamped, cryptographic “tickets” that prove originality of beats/sounds.
Royalty Distribution Tool – automatic payouts to collaborators based on song splits.
Attribution Standards – experiments with watermarking and C2PA-style metadata for art and audio.
🌱 Community Tools
Job & Opportunity Boards – from tech coaching to DJ gigs to mural contracts.
Personalized Launchpads – frameworks for artists/creators to spin up their own sites with decentralized identity baked in.
Open Forum / Communication Hub – exploring Zulip, Discord, or an ActivityPub-based forum for project collaboration.
1. Project Submissions
Submit your project idea(s) by October 7th using the form here.
Minimum info: Name, description, roadmap, collaborators, and links.
2. Curation & Team Formation
On Oct 7th we’ll review all submissions.
We’ll curate a focused set of projects (approx. 5) and identify lead contributors.
Everyone can cross-collaborate, but each project should have a clear owner/team.
3. Build Sessions
Weekly build nights on Tuesdays, 6–9 PM (flexible to 10 PM).
Open space to collaborate, code, paint, prototype, and share.
Remote participation possible (video call for those not in Detroit).
4. Merge Party
End-of-month showcase (Halloween-themed).
Opportunity to present what we built, activate projects, and celebrate with a bigger audience.
👉 Action Item for Everyone: Draft your project submission before Oct 7.
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