Generative Artificial Intelligence
Introduction to AI generated media: A brief overview
This series of hybrid online/in-person workshops was organized in collaboration with Alma Mater Europaea International University at Maribor, Slovenia and also Baltazar Zaprešić College of Zagreb, Croatia. It was primarily designed for communications professionals, educators, and PhD level students, with the aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the newest developments in the game-changing world of generative AI, particularly focusing on its uses for media, strategic communication, education, and content marketing. It covers fundamental topics relating to large language models such as ChatGPT, Jasper, and Copy.ai; image generating diffusion models like Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, and Midjourney; as well as text-to-video models such as RunwayML and Synesthesia – describing what they are, how they work, and their most important impacts on today’s markets, as well as some of the current and near future legal, business, technological, social and political challenges they present.
Large canvas
Creative group activities provide relief for overworked and stressed people of all ages. With that in mind, I organized a series of workshops centered around coloring in designs painted onto large canvases.
I am always ready to design new visuals based on the interests of the participants. For those in search of a quick and interesting diversion, I also offer some pre-designed visuals that are hand-drawn on large canvases. If you have a special wish, you can order a special visual that I will draw and print on canvas just for you. Choose the dimensions of large canvases yourself – from about 50 centimeters to as much as 2 meters.
Feel free to get in touch if you are looking to promote your brand in a different way by involving your target audience in the Big Canvas group coloring experience, or if you want to try this activity at your office celebration or teambuilding program.
Painting and printmaking
The painting and print making workshops I organize cover a broad range of techniques, tools and themes. Stylistically, they are often centered around impressionism, pointillism and expressionism, but no two workshops are alike, and they seldom cover the same ground twice. During print making workshops, I share interesting ideas for making stamps from non-traditional and unusual materials that we can find in our environment and introduce students to the world of simple printing techniques, showing experiments with different objects and tools for making stamps, stencils and textures. All of this gives you the power to create your own original images. The workshops are open to people of all skill levels – from absolute beginner to advanced, and are attended by students from every imaginable walk of life – school kids, professional artists, business professionals, teachers, scientists, pensioners, fashion designers, homemakers, and even heavyweight boxers! Whether you’re a creative type or not doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference. All you need are whichever supplies come to hand – and a little imagination and good will.
Sculpture, mosaic and collage
Sculpture, mosaic and collage are among the most ancient art forms. While learning about them is an excellent opportunity to discuss terms and elements of art (line, value, shape, form, space, and texture) and some principles of design (rhythm, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, and unity), building layers upon layers, creating variations in texture, size elements and adding decorative elements from our surroundings… I also like to encourage students to relax, follow their instincts, take risks and have fun with the creative process.
STREAM
(Science Technology Responsibility Engineering Art Mathematics)
Children are naturally curious and eager to discover how the world around us works. These workshops integrate English as a Second Language (ESL) with vocabulary and concepts
fundamental to Science, Technology, Responsibility, Engineering, Art, and Math (STREAM).
Each module builds upon knowledge and experiences gained from the preceding ones, so
that students can pass seamlessly through a wide range of subject matter, (“S” =
Chemistry & Biology; “T” = Computer programming & Robotics; “R” = Sustainability &
Entrepreneurship; “E” = Engineering & Model design/building; “A” = Art & Music; “M” = Numeracy & Geometry). Methodology involves a traditional step-by-step approach to ESL instruction combined with hands-on STREAM workshops, activities and experiments.
Most global commerce requires English language fluency, with many global corporations that operate in Croatia mandating English as their common corporate language. English is also the preferred language of scientific communication, accounting for roughly 80% of all scientific and academic journals globally. In developed countries such as the USA, STEM-related job growth is substantially faster than that of non-STEM professions.
Thus, it is imperative that young non-native English speakers are educated in these key areas from the earliest possible age (6 years old and up), in order to help them keep up and compete with the outside world. To further that end, we must supply them with easy access to useful and enjoyable tools for improving their English abilities while aiding their acquisition of STREAM-related conceptual frameworks.
With that in mind, I set out to create a fresh, exciting and straightforward way of providing the
children of Croatia with robust supplementary programs for learning standard American
English while acquiring the science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurial, art, and math
skills needed to participate in the global economy.
The accompanying STREAM book, lesson plans and teaching materials are available free of charge to public teaching institutions and offer a new, ready-to-go set of tools for supplementing their education programs.
Pametno Kino (Smart Cinema)
Smart Cinema is a 24-part educational and entertainment program oriented toward families, taking place in the Tuškanac Cinema in Zagreb on Saturday mornings. Each program begins with the screening of a children’s film, followed by a 60-minute STEAM workshop in the cinema lobby. While the workshops are aimed at inspiring and entertaining children between the ages of 5 – 10 years old, older kids are welcome, and parents are strongly encouraged to participate. This combination of film entertainment for young audiences with artistic creative workshops of painting, drawing, collage, mosaic, sculpture, model building, and more – all with the careful assistance of creative helpers – proved to be a favorite Saturday ritual for many families.
The workshops were organized in collaboration with Sekvoja-Art and Kino Tuškanac.