Journey
The Ancestral Futures Call for Submissions went live in September 2023. We invited everyone, including members of the general public, artists, writers, poets, and creatives, to visit the archives and speculate how these materials could be reimagined, and metaphorically remixed, to tell new stories.
Submission Parameters
Formats requested included micro fiction, poetry, and any form of (digitized) art. We asked that submissions draw from Afrofuturism, Latinx/Chicanx Futurisms, Indigenous Futurisms, Asian Futurity, and related fields to explore how the intersection of art and archives can inspire new ideas, interpretations, and engagement with the past. We required that each submission cite at least one archival item as the original inspiration behind the piece.
As the project grew, we expanded the call to be more inclusive. We welcomed submissions using archival images from outside UCR’s holdings, and submissions that focused more on local history and the experiences of BIPOC communities in the Inland Empire. As this was an experimental project, we wanted to test the waters and see what interest/needs the community had, and respond to it.
Workshops
In October 2023, we organized two hands-on workshops that combined creative practice with archival exploration: “Little Big Stories” and “Navigating the Archive.” Our goal for these 2-hour workshops was two-fold: help introduce/demystify the archive and cultivate spaces where we could create in community. Many of the submissions received were born from these workshops.
"Little Big Stories" was led by Professor Wallace Cleaves (Gabrieleno/Tongva) who shared an introduction to Indigenous Futurism through the lens of micro fiction, and led the group through a creative writing exercise inspired by curated materials by UCR Special Collections.
"Navigating the Archive" was led by interdisciplinary visual artist, cultural producer, and independent curator Chelle Barbour. Barbour gave an overview of her work in surrealism and Afrofuturism, and guided the group through a collaging activity using reproductions of materials from UCR Special Collections and other institutional archives. All images for that workshop were found and curated from the digital repository, Calisphere.
Results
Eight finalists were selected for publication by the 2023 Selection Committee. In an effort to promote sustainable artistic practice, all finalists were compensated with a $50 Visa gift card and a print copy of Ancestral Futures. A copy will also be preserved in UCR Special Collections, and may be added to UCR's circulating collection as well.
Future
We received many fantastic submissions, and we regret that we could not accept them all. We hope to continue this project in 2025, with a new theme and focus, to promote more archival exploration and engagement. Stay tuned!