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Creative Technologies is a new major for a new age

The one-of-a-kind program invites students to study arts and tech side by side

December 10, 2024

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Screen printing class, student on computer

Launched at the start of Fall quarter 2024, the University of California, Santa Cruz created a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary major in the Arts Division. Creative Technologies is situated at the crossroads of arts and technology and is dedicated to exploring digital tools for creativity in the context of web-based community and society, with an emphasis on collaboration, creative labor that occurs outside of traditional “arts” and “design” contexts, and the deeper ethics and justice that those tools can help to foster. 

The program’s inaugural director, Ben Leeds Carson, is a Professor of Music. “We are proud of our ambition, which crosses a wider range of media than I can see happening in the UC system,” says Carson. He is joined by Program Manager Emily Spitz, and five other inaugural faculty members who he describes as “both genius and diverse in their genius. I couldn’t be prouder to be working with such an incredible mixture of innovators.”

It has become increasingly difficult to separate our understandings of arts from technology when the two are increasingly blended through practices like NFTs, social media, and Artificial Intelligence. Simultaneously new careers have emerged such as social media managers and user experience designers. 

“We really identified a need in the Arts Division for students to work across disciplines and across practices,” says Carson. Students will learn to understand and work with major concepts including digital literacy, media studies, and strategies for creative practice. Creative Technologies offers classes including creative coding, digital platforms, and digital media perspectives. 

One student who is already seeing the benefits is Miranda Palladino, a junior. After finishing their associate degree, Palladino transferred to UC Santa Cruz  in the Fall of 2023 as an art major. “I really had a bit of a difficult time adjusting to the curriculum of the art program, and I found that it really wasn't what I needed out of my education,” says Palladino. When Creative Technologies was announced last school year as a new major they seized the chance to explore the technical and technological aspects of creating art. Palladino aspires to be a graphic designer and music producer who works with local labels. 

UC Santa Cruz has a long history fostering innovative and socially conscious education. From luminaries like bell hooks and Angela Davis to History of Consciousness alumnus Huey Newton, the university has a rich legacy of shaping thought leaders who challenge societal norms. Creative Technologies integrates this spirit of progress by weaving in diversity, equity, and inclusion into the very fabric of its curriculum and faculty expertise.

“One of the most important and distinctive things about this program is its focus on the relationship between contemporary media and justice,” says Carson. Half of the inaugural faculty are people of color, a third are immigrants, and all professors have put an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in their research. Assistant Professor A.M. Darke recently released work on a code she created to more realistically animate Black hair; principal faculty member Dorothy Santos specializes in feminist media histories, critical medical anthropology, race, and gender; and principal faculty member Cláudio Bueno creates art that intersects race and justice. Additional faculty members put a similar emphasis on social justice and DEI.

“I was interested in the fact that Creative Technologies was described to me as something that centers on how we think about and how we create a more just society and culture,” says Santos. “Those were things I was already interested in because these were things that I myself would have wanted when I was an undergrad.”

The faculty and staff of Creative Technologies, led by Carson, emphasize that justice must be a foundational element of the program to ensure it remains a priority rather than an afterthought.  “Our representation of the world is one of the strongest agents of power and disempowerment,”Carson explains. “We have a responsibility to think critically about the way cultural representation affects power in a democracy based on race, gender, ability, age, religion, and citizenship.” The program aims to equip students not only with technical and artistic skills but also with an understanding of how these fields intersect with systems of power and oppression. As Palladino notes, “I'm finding that this program not only preaches it, but practices it.”

Creative Technologies is also breaking down boundaries by being a non-screening major. Other arts programs require applicants to send in a portfolio to be accepted, this is especially true of transfer students. However, similar requirements do not exist in the new program, making it more accessible to those who might not have had access to arts education previously.

Furthermore, Creative Technologies is advancing its justice-oriented goals by making the major online, and thereby expanding accessibility and ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds, including those unable to relocate, have the opportunity to pursue this innovative program. All classes are online and many of them incorporate in-person options for students who want to attend on campus. The program currently includes a residency requirement giving incoming students the benefits of an on-campus experience paired with online education.

“One of the most amazing things about the program is how accessible it is, because such an integral part of the world of tech is accessibility,” says Palladino. “I know if I had a family emergency, or if I needed to go home, or if I needed to visit a friend, I could pick up my life and do that and not have my academic career really suffer.”

Creating a vibrant online community offers exciting opportunities to innovate and connect in new ways. Carson emphasizes the importance of building this intentionally. Drawing from his experience designing online courses for non-music majors, Carson has developed effective strategies to foster meaningful connections in virtual spaces. The program’s course design prioritizes student collaboration, providing creative and dynamic ways for students to engage and build relationships, even from a distance.

“For us an online degree program is not just ‘Let’s see if we can make do with remote learning technologies,’” says Carson. “It’s a much more inspiring question: What does a classroom become when it’s uncoupled from brick and mortar spaces.”

Palladino credits Santos for her expertise in creating an online classroom. “Dorothy is just brilliant, absolutely brilliant,” says Palladino. “This professor does it right. Their zooms are so engaging.”

Though Creative Technologies is still in its fledgling stage, those involved are hopeful about the futures of the current students. They will be prepared for careers both inside and outside of the tech world. Their diverse range of skills that will help them in life regardless of their chosen career paths.

“I think Creative Technology majors are going to create jobs that don't exist yet,” says Santos. Santos mentions possible careers including media scholars and UX designers. Given that this program is only now wrapping up its first quarter, many of the students don’t know what they want to do with their careers yet. However, much like Palladino, many of them wanted to pursue UX and UI.

Palladino credits Creative Technologies with giving them new opportunities for their future. “It sets you up almost perfectly for grad school. A lot of MFA programs want you to not only have technical experience in a creative practice, but also have critical thinking skills about conceptual art and social practice art,” they say. Previous to this semester they hadn’t considered graduate school, but now Palladino sees that as a potential part of their future.

As for the program itself, Carson and his colleagues hope to grow the program and reach students from a greater geographic area. “We’re really looking forward to a time when this program and its resources can allow us to grow so that the Creative Technologies majors number in the hundreds,” says Carson.