Please be patient with us as we go through this process and get everything up to speed while we’re also organizing for our major festival this fall, SUPER FESTival! I also want to thank all Hand Eye Society Members, friends, partners and volunteers for working with us and we can’t wait to let you know the future of what we’ve been up to! Your support means everything to us!

Also, all Hand Eye Society staff are going to take a break, so we will be off starting August 1st and we’ll be back in business on August 8th! If you need to get in contact with us, give us a tweet/DM or email us at info@handeyesociety.com and we’ll get back to ya ASAP! Honestly we deserve this break lol.

Anyway, thanks for everything and we’ll be back soon! Enjoy your summer!

The Hand Eye Society is an established arts organization within the city’s videogame community, however there is a tremendous opportunity for the organization to grow — as our culture rethinks the value of videogames, we are in high demand! We are looking to recruit experienced board members who would be able to help us navigate our upcoming challenges of long-term sustainability in a post-pandemic world, specifically: 

Fundraising: Currently we have multi-year public funding, but we are looking to diversify our income streams to include membership/donor support, as well as sponsorships that don’t undercut our message of non-commercial games expression.

Local and International Partnerships: We are looking to connect with local arts organizations active in other media, to amplify what we can do together and create efficiencies where possible. We are also looking to collaborate with like-minded organizations in other cities to expand cross-talk and collaboration between our cities.

Long Term Organizational Planning: We need expertise to help establish timelines and goals for the next several years.

General Responsibilities: Attending board meetings once a month, contributing on email threads, advising as a committee, and actively contributing to the vibrancy of the organization.

The ideal candidate would demonstrate:

• Readiness to support fundraising for the Hand Eye Society through ideas, contacts and experience;
• Passion for the organization’s mission to serve;
• Strong communication and networking skills;
• Deep knowledge of games or the games community are not a prerequisite, provided other skills are present;
• Prior experience on a non-profit Board or other related governance experience would be an asset;

Time commitment: five hours/month. As per our by-laws, this appointment would be for a two-year term, renewable for up three terms total. If you are a board member you cannot showcase work at Hand Eye Society events, as outlined in the Conflict of Interest Policy. The Hand Eye Society has a mandate committed to diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

To apply, please send a statement of interest and bio (one page max.) to Len Predko, Executive Director, before Sunday May 31st, 2021 at 11:59pm Eastern, at len@handeyesociety.com

Hello, all! We have some wonderful news to share with all Hand Eye Society members as well as the Toronto games community– Em Lazer-Walker and Daniele Hopkins are our latest nominees for our Board of Directors! We invite all active HES Members to attend this week’s AGM to meet the Board and vote in the nominees.

We have a lot of announcements to make about changes to the org in the coming years, including a new Executive Director, so please don’t forget to RSVP to the Annual General Meeting that is happening this Saturday on August 15th! Links and instructions to the new Hand Eye Society Discord will be sent to those who RSVP before the date. The first half is open to the public while the second half is for active Membership only, but you can still hang out and chat with whoever else is in the server that day.

[button size=’large’ style=” text=’RSVP for HES AGM 2020′ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://forms.gle/kBYZRmkDp1K4XB7L8′ target=’_self’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=’center’ margin=”]

Now, please allow them to introduce themselves!

Hi! My name’s Emilia (she/her or they/them). I’m a Toronto-based artist/engineer and a games/XR cloud advocate at Microsoft.

As an installation artist and game designer, most of my work focuses on using nontraditional interfaces to reframe everyday objects and spaces as playful experiences and to inspire people to become self-motivated learners. I’ve built projects as far-flung as a site-specific generative poetry walk, a game played on 19th century telegraph hardware, and a commercial board game that uses Amazon Alexa. In the past, I’ve been the co-founder of a VC-funded games hardware platform, worked on commercial mobile games such as Flappy Royale and Words With Friends, and done academic game design research with the MIT Media Lab’s Playful Systems research group. I’ve had work featured in places such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Venice Architectural Biennale, and at games events and spaces such as IndieCade (2016 finalist), alt.ctrl.GDC, Bit Bash, Come Out and Play, Babycastles, Different Games, and New York Toy Fair (2019 Game of the Year nominee).

But my experience shipping games is far less relevant than my experience and interest in helping the community! I already spend a lot of my time doing advocacy work to help marginalized people thrive in the games industry, both in my spare time and (quite fortunately!) as a large part of my current day job at Microsoft. While I’ve never served on a board like HES’s before, I co-run the Roguelike Celebration conference, the annual alt.ctrl.PARTY at GDC, and the local QueerJS JavaScript meetup here in Toronto. After GDC was cancelled, the “altGDC” Discord I created to facilitate alternative GDC community events had around 1,000 people at peak and spawned multiple virtual conferences. I’m beyond excited to take the experience I have building and managing games community organizations to the HES board and helping out the Toronto community!

Daniele is a Toronto-based intermedia artist and founder and executive director of Electric Perfume, a community-oriented production team (former 5yr studio/gallery) focusing on experiential arts. With Electric Perfume, she has organized and curated shows and series that give creators within the community a chance to learn, explore, perform, and showcase their endeavours.

Daniele develops interactive and experiential artworks and physical games for a variety of applications, from festivals and events to storefronts and galleries. Daniele is passionate about teaching and mentorship, both in Toronto, and as a visiting artist engaging indigenous youth across Canada. She is also on the board of directors for Musicworks Magazine, a publication covering cutting-edge experimental music for over 40 years, as well as an inaugural board member for Gallery X, an upcoming public art gallery in east Toronto. Most of her projects are an exploration of intersections between nature, technology, sculpture, sound, and interactivity, and the sculptural component of her works is commonly based in discarded, obsolete, or found materials. Daniele is a lover of insects, and she often looks for subtle methods of incorporating their enigmatic beauty in her projects.

Finally: Have you filled out our Strategic Planning survey yet? It’s open until Thursday this week! We want to hear from you about what a local videogame arts organization can accomplish in the year 2021 and beyond, so please send us your anonymous feedback. We will be discussing everything that’s sent to us in-depth with Currents Group, who are helping to facilitate our year of transition and reflection.

Friends, collaborators, and community members: We at Hand Eye Society are making moves and planning schemes on how to prioritize our activities in the years to come, and we need your help! We are inviting all members of the independent videogame community to take part of our stakeholder and environmental scanning process, facilitated by Currents Group. The resulting strategic plan will guide us throughout a major transitional period which will include adaptations to the pandemic, as well as significant changes in staff and Board.

If you’ve ever had blue-sky ideas for what a local videogame arts organization could accomplish, now is the time to let us know! More professional development and exhibition opportunities for BIPOC creators? Artsier, weirder events that push the boundaries of  what a game even is? Virtual spaces for discussing fun stuff and tough issues? Whatever your dreams for the future of indie games in Toronto/the GTA, we want to hear from you!

[button size=’large’ style=” text=’Take Our Survey Before AUGUST 10′ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WNLGJSN’ target=’_self’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=” margin=”]

This is the first time we have undergone this process in a decade of operations, so your input would be massively appreciated. All information will be kept anonymous and presented in a way that cannot be attributed to participants.

Stay safe out there, and don’t forget to wear a mask!

After our tenth anniversary in 2019, we decided that 2020 would be a year for rest, restructuring, and reflection. The pandemic hasn’t changed that, but after 6 months of hard work, we are ready to start announcing some of the transformations coming to the org in the months and years to come. This is just one of several posts that will keep you all updated on the invisible things that make the exciting things possible, including the strategic planning work we will be doing with Currents Group to help guide us through some big changes. But first:

Annual General Meeting –  AUGUST 15 2020

Mark your calendars for what will almost certainly be our first virtual Annual General Meeting! Come hear about programming and operational changes in 2020 and beyond, and give us your input on what you’d like to see from us in the future. We’re also currently looking for people interested in being on the Board who self-identify as “active game-makers”, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. If you’re interested in helping to shape the organization as we move forward, please get in touch!

The first half of the AGM will be open to the public, and the second half closed to Membership. However, since it seems likely this meeting will take place on Discord, you are welcome to hang out in the Public channel while the members-only portion takes place. The link to the server will be provided to those who RSVP at the link below.

[button size=’large’ style=” text=’RSVP for HES AGM 2020′ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://forms.gle/kBYZRmkDp1K4XB7L8′ target=’_self’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=’center’ margin=”]

Familiar Faces, New Roles

Sagan Yee, who has been executive director of HES since 2016, will be stepping down from their position in 2021. Stepping up will be program coordinator Len Predko, who has been working with us for a number of years, and is actively involved in the maker and indie games communities. Also joining the core team will be Jordan Sparks, who has been working with our Director of Technology and Workshop Coordinator Extraordinaire Ken Cho for some time in anticipation of taking over the position. We have been hard at work training and preparing staff for this transition, and look forward to seeing what the next generation team will accomplish!

Len Predko (they/them) is a queerdo and play architect, making games in Toronto Canada. They have a Bachelors in Design from OCAD University in the Digital Futures and went to School of Machines, Making, and Make-Believe for Waiting and Escaping, a program about escape rooms, play, and environment building. Their thesis work at OCAD focused on using video game mechanics in the physical world, translating virtual world building to physical space.

Email: len@handeyesociety.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlennMakes

Jordan Sparks is a Black Multimedia Artist, Designer, and Educator that uses Games and Media to entertain and inspire social change. Jordan has a Masters in Media Production and BFA in New Media. With a long history in Toronto’s local Games Community and Jordan is widely known for his game An/Other and research on Games for Social Change. As an Educator, Jordan has engaged thousands of people across Ontario through institutions such as Royal Ontario Museum, Sheridan College, and Ryerson University. With his strong technical, creative, and educational expertise, Jordan is proud to succeed Ken Cho as the incoming Technology Director and continue the groundbreaking work of the Hand Eye Society.

E-Mail: Jordan@HandEyeSociety.com
Portfolio: GrindSpark.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/SparkComics
Twitter: Twitter.com/SuperSparkplugs
Itch.io: GrindSpark.itch.io
Twitch: Twitch.tv/SuperSparkplug

That’s all for now! Keep an eye on this space for upcoming news about WordPlay and other programming, our strategic planning project, and 2021 plans.

Dear Hand Eye Society members, game curious folks, and friends:

Although this may seem like a familiar refrain, we wanted to reach out to everyone and let you know what’s going on with us, check in how you’re doing, and talk about what is happening related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the videogame and arts sector. Check out the following updates for more information on how we’re dealing with current events, and how you can help!

Tracking Impact

First and most urgently, the arts councils have asked organizations like HES to document the impact that COVID-19 is having on our community. This data can be shared with funders and granting partners as a way to measure the financial impact of the pandemic on the interactive media sector, as well as advocating for stimulus and relief measures. The more people and organizations that participate in these efforts, the better we can collectively address the needs of the sector going forward.

To facilitate this, we strongly encourage anyone who self-identifies as a member of the interactive digital media arts/industry sector to please fill out the following survey before the deadline below:

SURVEY DEADLINE: TUESDAY, MARCH 31

[button size=’large’ style=” text=’Take the COVID-19 National Impact Survey’ icon=’fa-align-center’ icon_color=” link=’https://na1se.voxco.com/SE/114/COVID_Interactive/’ target=’_self’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=#ffffff” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=’center’ margin=”]

This survey is funded by the CMF and produced by Nordicity, and promoted in partnership with Interactive Ontario (you can also read IO’s preliminary recommendations to government here). It is intended for anyone who works in or is adjacent to interactive digital media, and is not limited to those who make videogames, so please share this as widely as possible within your networks. The results will be available by province as well as at the national level. Your answers will remain anonymous and confidential. Responses will be combined and will only be shared in aggregated format with key decision makers in government.

Our Programming

Hand Eye Society extremely saddened to announce that Comics X Games and TCAF 2020 have been cancelled due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, although we all believe this to be the best decision for everyone’s health and safety. We are currently exploring contingency plans for our regularly scheduled programming, including Comics X Games, Game Curious, WordPlay, and Camp Make-a-Game. Our Annual General Meeting has also been put on hold while we research options for holding meetings remotely. We are also looking into the viability of platforms such as Discord or Twitch for delivering certain types of programming, so if you have experience with live-streaming and broadcasting content to large groups of people over the Internet, please get in touch!

We also want to take this opportunity to ask you, our community, how we can best support you during this challenging time. Virtual events, increased promotion of local artists via social media, a special Twitter hashtag to spotlight underrepresented works, remote game jams, bedroom-based festivals, fundraisers we should be signal-boosting, anything goes. If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see, let us know! We will continue discussing with our Board, partners, funders, and all of you about how to facilitate our operations in the weeks and months ahead. Hopefully, we will be able to continue our regular programming later in the year, but we would like to be prepared for any eventuality. You can contact us at any time at info@handeyesociety.com or via Twitter @HandEyeSociety, but we will also be reaching out more proactively as we continue to to research our options.

Our monthly newsletter will be going ahead as scheduled, so please continue sending your game news, job postings, submission deadlines, and anything else we should be aware of to calendar@handeyesociety.com and we will include it in the April 1 edition (and yes, you are more than welcome to submit fun tips and serious resources for dealing with the increased pandemic restrictions, such as those linked to below). In the meantime, watch this space for further updates, take care of yourself and those around you, and Play Safe!

-Hand Eye Society

COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Businesses

• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan (Canada.ca)
• TOArtist COVID Response Fund (for self-employed artists ineligible for Employment Insurance)
• Emergency Resources For Marginalized Artists & Communities (Margin of Eras Gallery)
• Toronto Arts Council Updates and Resources (Toronto Arts Council)
• Small Business Government Relief Programs (Shopify)
• IATSE Canada Resources (IATSE Canada)

Hello all! I know you’ve been seeing a lot of posts on our social media with searching for game submissions for this year’s Comics X Games or our partnership with The Bentway but this post is for all of our amazing members who help keep Hand Eye Society running and help us provide fun and engaging events in our community. For all active HE Members, you now have access to more exclusive membership perks via Insert Coin Accounting!

Insert Coin is a games focused accounting firm solely dedicated to empowering our industry. They provide all tax-related services pertaining to daily bookkeeping, year-end corporate filing, tax-credit strategy, and government audits/review for programs like CMF/Ontario Creates.

FREE ACCOUNTING HYGIENE ASSESSMENT & $50 OFF MONTHLY ACCOUNTING SERVICES PER YEAR

[Statement update: November 4. 2019]

This is a follow-up to our last Statement (see bottom of post) about the TPL situation. This has been a very difficult week to navigate, and we have discussed and reflected on everything our community has been saying. We also realize our original statement, being geared more for a general audience, did not address the concerns of the marginalized people most affected by the TPL Board’s actions, and we realize we should have prioritized their needs first. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify our decision to have WordPlay remain at the TPL, and to address the very valid concerns of safety.

First, we want to reiterate that we believe the decisions of TPL’s leadership has made the TPL less accessible for marginalized people, who no longer feel safe there. The TPL Board has damaged LGBTQ2S+ relations in this city and this is a fact that cannot be ignored. In terms of actions moving forward, HES will be reviewing our policy of continuing to book events at TPL for 2020 and beyond.

That being said, HES’s core staff are mostly queer, trans, and BIPOC. We do not tolerate ideologies as espoused by the likes of Meghan Murphy, and neither do many TPL staff workers nor their union. As a nomadic organization who depends on the TPL to connect gamemakers from all backgrounds with a public audience, and to reach those in under-served communities outside the downtown core who have no other way of accessing our programming, we are deeply invested in holding the institution accountable long-term. We see WordPlay as an opportunity for those of us who are able to hold space to speak for those who cannot, and work towards a future where we can once again feel confident that the TPL has our back.

The position of TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) is that trans people do not exist. Giving trans artists a platform and a voice within our largest public institutions is proof that we do. We absolutely respect those who have chosen to boycott the library in protest or for their own safety, but we believe ours is a complementary strategy, not an opposing one. This is a position shared by those such as local trans activist/artist Kai Cheng Thom. We have drawn a lot of understandable criticism for choosing not to boycott, and we acknowledge that speaking only of visibility for artists does not address the issue of participants feeling unsafe; but there is safety in numbers. We ARE the public. We have the right to exist without fear, at the TPL and everywhere.

Call to Action

We would like to speak openly about safety for a moment: Many of our events are held in public spaces with an open general attendance. These spaces have never been completely free of people with offensive and harmful views, but we have always done our best to cultivate a community culture that addresses and opposes all forms of hatred and bigotry. Our harassment policy says ‘safer’ rather than ‘safe’ for this reason, but we have and always will do our best to be clear about what we stand for: To be welcoming and inclusive to people of all backgrounds, to do the work of educating the curious and questioning, and to step in to defuse situations that may be harmful to marginalized participants.

Our stance and policies have not changed, but we want to be transparent that community trust in the TPL has been eroded, and that to stay at TPL is to deliberately stand on broken ground.

We believe in the power of presence and active participation. There are many trans and non-binary artists who are speaking and showcasing at WordPlay, and who serve as staff and volunteers at HES. If you are reading this and plan on attending, we ask you to consider standing in solidarity with us, and help us transform this broken ground into a Safer Space for trans participants, visitors, and even organizers. For we at HES have always relied on the community to help us cultivate an inclusive environment, and in this moment, we need your support more than ever.

There is transformative power in community that can redefine a space to be safer and more inclusive to its most vulnerable members. This is why we ask everyone, especially the cis members of our community, to show up for the trans participants, visitors, and organizers and to affirm that our community is one dedicated to upholding trans rights and to give them they support they need in a difficult time. Be present to show support for your fellow trans community members, to educate others that may not know on the issues trans people face, and above all to uplift trans voices in regards to these issues.

Safety Policies

To reiterate our policies and procedures surrounding safety, which we implement at all public events, Safety Check Personnel (comprised of both HES staff and volunteers) will be clearly visible by a wide red ribbon/sash with Hand Eye Society stickers attached to it. We will be mostly working in pairs so that if an attendee is being harassed or made to feel uncomfortable, one person can distract or stall the instigator while the other volunteer leads the attendee to our Staff Only Green Room. Safety Check Personnel will be looking to de-escalate or report incidents ranging from overt harassment to conversations or interactions that do not uphold the spirit of trans-inclusivity or a welcoming atmosphere in general. Library security will be immediately informed in cases of repeated or malicious behaviour. Reference Library staff have responded to our inquiry about trans-inclusivity and safety, and have assured us that library staff are trained to enforce the branch’s Rules of Conduct.

If you would like to volunteer to be a Safety Check person during WordPlay, please contact volunteer@handeyesociety.com and we will be in touch with more information.

On a final note, here is some positive news has resulted from the Palmerston protest which some of us were able to attend last Tuesday. The fight continues on many fronts. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to reach out with both support and criticism, and with all our powers combined, look forward to seeing you at a TPL branch again someday with clear hearts.

-Sagan Yee
Hand Eye Society Executive Director
They/them

Thank you to Sebastian Pines/smolghost (whose game strollplaying game trio pack will be in the WordPlay showcase all weekend) for contributing to this statement!

Original statement:

Dear WordPlay Guests and Attendees,

On behalf of Hand Eye Society, I would like to reach out and address a serious issue which has come to light regarding the Toronto Public Library (TPL) and their decision to allow a third party (Radical Feminists Unite – Toronto) to rent the Palmerston Library branch for an event called “Gender Identity: What Does It Mean for Society, the Law and Women?” The main speaker, Meghan Murphy, has a long track record of opposing rights and federal protections for transgender people under the guise of feminism and free speech, frequently speaks at events where transphobic merch is sold, and has been banned from Twitter for transphobic conduct.

Hand Eye Society, among many others, believe that this decision violates the TPL’s own Denial of Use Policy, which states that the library reserves the right to deny or cancel a booking that they believe is likely to promote, or would have the effect of promoting discrimination, contempt or hatred for any group or person on the basis of gender identity or expression. However, the TPL’s Board of Directors has voted to allow Murphy to continue with their event, claiming that because Murphy’s talk did not technically violate any laws or the Criminal Code, that the event will go ahead as scheduled. The Board and Head Librarian have also repeatedly cited the protection of free speech as a reason for their decision. Again, neither legal definitions of “hate speech” nor free speech protections are mentioned as the primary mechanism for the TPL to deny service according to their own Policy.

Hand Eye Society strongly opposes both Murphy’s views and TPL Board’s decision to allow the event to continue. We have several trans/non-binary staff, including the Executive Director, and have run many events at various TPL branches across the city. We know that the TPL Board does not speak for all library staff workers, their union, or the communities who depend on the TPL for access to vital resources, and that they are largely an important institution that provide invaluable services to people of all backgrounds. That being said, we believe the Board’s decision and their justifications for it have eroded community trust in the TPL as an organization which claims to respect the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people, and we believe the TPL should be held accountable for enforcing their own Policies as written.

All HES events already planned at TPL fpr 2019, including WordPlay, will be going ahead as scheduled. However, we stand in solidarity with those who choose to withdraw participation from events hosted at the TPL, boycott, protest, or take any action that amplifies trans voices and awareness of trans issues. If you are a guest or artist who has concerns about your continued participation in WordPlay, or just want to reach out in general, do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you are not familiar with these issues, are unsure of why Murphy’s talk constitutes transphobia, or are uncomfortable with our bringing attention to these matters, we encourage you to read the links provided below which provide additional details and background context. We will attempt to educate in whatever capacity we can manage, but our top priority is ensuring that artists and attendees of WordPlay can be informed about what’s going on and our collective stance on the matter.

Thank you for your patience and understanding in light of these circumstances.

In solidarity,

-Sagan Yee, Executive Director

Hand Eye Society Board and Staff

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Section 4.4 of the TPL’s Denial of Use Policy which states: The Library reserves the right to deny or cancel a booking when it reasonably believes  use by any individual or group will be for a purpose that is likely to promote, or would have the effect of promoting discrimination, contempt or hatred for any group or person on the basis of race, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship, colour, ancestry, language, creed (religion), age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, membership in a union or staff association, receipt of public assistance, level of literacy or any other similar factor.

News

• ‘I’m not going to reconsider’: Toronto’s top librarian refuses to bar speaker critical of transgender rights (CBC Interview)
• Local authors boycott Toronto Public Library over controversial speaker (NOW Toronto)
• Toronto Public Library under fire for refusing to cancel an event from a known trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) (National Post)
• Mayor Tory says he is ‘disappointed’ Toronto Public Library to host event by controversial speaker (City News)
• Vancouver Pride bans library from parade over event featuring ‘transphobic’ activist (CBC)
• Toronto Public Library Allows Neo-Nazi Memorial For Barbara Kulaszka To Go Ahead (Huffington Post, 2017; gives precedence for TPL’s decision)
• Live Twitter thread by Al Donato detailing the events of the TPL Board Meeting on Oct 22

Community Action

• Open Letter by Pride Toronto
• Open Letter to TPL by Xtra journalist Rachel Geise
• Change.org Petition by activist Al Donato, signed by several HES staff
• Another Change.org petition by members of Toronto’s literary community
• Oct 29 Protest at Palmerston Library (Facebook Event)
• Pride Toronto Rally (Twitter)

It’s true: Hand Eye Society is looking for someone to help deliver our vision of growing, supporting, and exploring the video game arts to Toronto and beyond! The Communications Manager will work alongside the Operations and Projects staff to engage audiences about our various programs, as well as signal-boost other gaming arts-related events through our newsletter and social media channels. We’re a diverse team who have worked to bring the playful arts to a variety of spaces, from public libraries and schools to film festivals and art galleries, and we are looking for someone who is excited to help shape the future of the medium with us!

[button size=’large’ style=” text=’Apply here before August 26!’ icon=” icon_color=” link=’https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScurqtHD0E1TED9OEGFCMYvQodcpVob8BwtmYiypGPXrwyzlg/viewform?usp=sf_link’ target=’_self’ color=” hover_color=” border_color=” hover_border_color=” background_color=” hover_background_color=” font_style=” font_weight=” text_align=’center’ margin=”]

Our staff is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds (including PoC, WoC, LGBTQ, and Disabled), and several of us are involved to some degree in social justice movements or activities. Candidates from marginalized or underprivileged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply —  Lived experience is expertise! If there is anything in this application process that would pose a barrier to applying beyond the main requirements, please contact Sagan at sagan@handeyesociety.com to discuss options.

About Us

Hand Eye Society (HES) is a nomadic non-profit arts organization whose mission is to support and celebrate games and playful media made primarily as a means of creative expression. We aim to engage artists, players, and the game curious in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with a wide variety of year-round programming, including festivals, workshops, exhibits, and other events and partnerships. Founded in 2009, HES played an instrumental part in laying the foundation for Toronto’s vibrant, active indie games community, and continues to grow as it approaches its 10th anniversary in 2019.

Job Description

HES Communications encompasses the following activities: Newsletter and Calendar; Website; Social Media; Promotion and Marketing; Documentation; Memberships; some Fundraising and Sponsorships. As HES continues to grow, the Communications Manager may eventually delegate certain responsibilities to other staff. Until then, the selected candidate will work alongside the Executive Director, Director of Operations, Director of Technology, and Project Leads to generally oversee and execute tasks in all of these areas.

• Remote, work-from-home
• $25/hour after probationary period (see Hiring Schedule)
• Approx. 20-30 hours per month
• Start date: September 2018

Main Tasks

• Researching and writing the monthly newsletter and blog posts, approx. 1-4 per month depending on event frequency; maintaining the Google Calendar event list (20%)
• Managing our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter (15-20%)
• Maintaining and updating our WordPress website (15-20%)
• Promote our events and programming to the general public, members, sponsors, press; create promotional campaigns and strategies for larger HES events, such as Comics X Games, WordPlay and the Hand Eye Society Ball (20%)
• Oversee the creation of promotional and marketing materials such as posters, banners, flyers, trailers, etc. and ensuring sponsorship inclusion (10%)
• Handle incoming memberships and membership engagement (10%)
• Respond to incoming general inquiries, and forwarding specific inquiries to the appropriate staff person if needed (5%)
• Misc administrative duties (3%)
• Update and manage list of promotional resources and press (2%)

Requirements and Expectations

• Lives in Toronto/Greater Toronto Area
• Excellent English written and verbal communication skills
• Reliable computer and Internet access
• Broad knowledge of the Toronto video game and media arts communities and organizations (industry, academic, arts, activist, etc.)
• Responds to e-mail, Slack, Twitter and Facebook messages in a timely fashion
• Must be able to work from home with mainly online interaction and the occasional in-person meeting, approximately 1-4 times per month
• Must practice policies of equity and inclusion, including undergoing staff training and making sure volunteers and organizational partners also reflect our community values

Bonus Points!

• Has a unique creative writing voice and the ability to tell a good story
• Knowledgeable about best practices in social media, e-newsletters and blog writing
• General knowledge of international gaming arts networks
• Ability to research news outlets and press, and engage them with our stories
• Owns and is able to use image editing software such as Photoshop
• Understanding of graphic design principles and the process of creating visual promotional material for both print and web (Facebook banners, posters, pamphlets, etc)
• Experience with sponsorship and fundraising

Ideal Platform Proficiencies

• WordPress (strong)
• Mailchimp (strong)
• Twitter (strong)
• Facebook (strong)
• Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar (medium)
• Slack (medium)
• Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign (strong bonus)

Benefits and Opportunities

• Flexible hours
• All benefits of HES membership plus free attendance at our workshops and events
• Help program and curate HES activities (Note: Our Conflict of Interest Policy will be in effect, as this is an Operational role)
• Occasional travel/research opportunities to non-HES arts events as appropriate
• Optional health insurance through the Arts & Entertainment Plan offered by AFBS
• Reasonable scheduling accommodations for mental and physical health
• Work with a diverse, passionate team helping to make video games a more inclusive, artsier place!

Hiring Schedule

• Application Period: Submissions close Sunday August 26. Only select candidates will be chosen for an interview, to be scheduled throughout early September. Our final decision will be made by September 30 at the latest, but we are aiming for no later than Sept 10. Interviews will be conducted by the executive director Sagan Yee, and possibly one other staffperson.

• Probationary Period: 3 months from first day of work, to be determined with lead candidate. Compensation during this period will be $20/hour. Training will take place over a few scheduled in-person meetings, after which most communication will take place over e-mail and Slack.

• Review and Renewal: After the Probationary Period, we will review the candidate’s performance with them and, if both parties are in agreement, renew our contract for 2019. Compensation will be raised to $25/hour, in line with Hand Eye Society’s other key Operational roles. Contract will be 1-year renewable.

Code of Conduct

The Hand Eye Society is dedicated to upholding policies which reflect our values around equity, inclusion and diversity. Our staff is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds (including PoC, LGBTQ, and disabled), and several of us are involved to some degree in social justice activist movements or activities. We do not tolerate offensive verbal comments or attitudes towards gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing; in addition, we strive to ensure that the organizations and individuals with whom we work also reflect our values in this regard. The selected candidate is expected to be open about learning and implementing best practices with regards to diversity and equity policies, including taking staff training if needed. You may also refer to our Safer Spaces Policy.

Please contact the Executive Director at sagan@handeyesociety.com with any questions about this position.

In order to make sure our Members are informed and prepared to vote on it again at the 2018 AGM (TBA, likely in March), we will be holding an Info Session on Feb 2 to present the revised COI Policy. The presentation will be facilitated by members of the Board and Executive Director Sagan Yee, and there will be an opportunity for questions and feedback.

401 Richmond St.
The Commons, 4th Floor
Friday February 2
Doors open 6 PM, discussion at 6:30 PM

* Note: While anyone may attend this info session to learn more about the COI Policy, only HES Members in good standing can vote to pass it at the 2018 AGM.

What is this for?

We’re looking to continue the discussion about how to approach conflict of interest issues around exhibition of artwork curated by HES, and turn that into consistent policy. An example of questions and concerns that were raised at the 2017 AGM include: 

• Should HES Board members and staff members be allowed to show work at HES events?
• What is the definition of “staff” or “employee”?
• What if someone is hired to work on a different event from the one to which they’re submitting their project?
• What if someone contributes art or music to a game, but isn’t a creative lead?

These discussions may seem unnecessary if nobody has raised any complaints, but it is important to have firm policies in place for several reasons. For one, an enforceable policy allows us to make sure we are not curating games just because they are made by our friends, or people who work for us. These policies are also an indicator to government funders that we are a responsible organization that is transparent about the way we do things, which affects our ability to apply for grants. It helps community members understand how we make decisions, and allows you to have a say in how we run things!

The Conflict of Interest Policy is not the only piece of governance we are looking to clarify and/or revise, but it has been in the works for a while now, so please come out to learn more and ask questions. You can also get in touch at sagan@handeyesociety.com. Thank you and hope to see you out!