Art has the ability not just to entertain, but also to educate; to decipher the nuanced,the thorny and the harrowing issues confronting society and make them accessible.
This ability was the reason Mozilla launched our Creative Media Awards program in 2017. The internet was becoming more and more entwined with our individual lives and with society at large, but in ways that were invisible, complex, sometimes harmful. And so we wanted to empower artists who could create art — literature, documentaries, games, exhibitions — around this nexus. Art that could reach a mass audience and facilitate an understanding of complex technological concepts and their impacts.
Past Creative Media Awardees cohorts have done just this, unpacking vital topics like privacy and security, misinformation, race and technology, data stewardship, and responsible artificial intelligence.
Over the years, individual projects have allowed viewers to tour different online echo chambers; understand (and help mitigate) AI bias in cancer detection for Black patients; discern the capabilities of AI chat bots; and so much more.
Our awardees have included filmmakers, game designers, activists, writers, and researchers hailing from Japan, Uganda, the U.S., the Netherlands, and beyond.
Five years later, it’s clear our Creative Media Awards have had the impact we desired. They’ve won an Emmy. They’ve won and been honored by the Webbys. They’ve been featured in WIRED, Fast Company, and NPR. And they’ve engaged and educated thousands — if not millions — of internet users.
But we’re not taking this moment to rest on our laurels. As AI grows even more prevalent and influential, we need artists to unpack big concepts, tell important stories, and provoke both thought and action. That’s why, before we head into the next five years of Creative Media Awards, we’re taking time to reflect.
As AI grows even more prevalent and influential, we need artists to unpack big concepts, tell important stories, and provoke both thought and action.
Looking back, and seeking a consultant
Specifically, Mozilla will produce a retrospective report that’s part storytelling exercise, part program audit. The report will tell the stories of our cohorts; analyze the individual and collective impacts of Creative Media Award projects from 2017 to 2022; and assess the program’s influence geographically along with its role fueling Mozilla’s Theory of Change.
Mozilla conducted a similar exercise around our Fellowship work in 2021, and it led to an even more powerful program with deeper impacts and more diversity. We likened the reflection process to listening to a great mixtape: Pausing to reflect on the music (or, the program’s current state). Rewinding to revisit past tracks (or, past projects and processes). And fast forwarding to see what’s ahead (or, envisioning an even more impactful program).
We are seeking a consultant to produce this retrospective. They will help us shape the narrative of this program, while also helping us unpack just how successful it has been in helping people understand, imagine, and critique the social implications of emerging technologies.
We are seeking a consultant to produce a retrospective on Mozilla's Creative Media Awards. They will help us shape the narrative of this program, while also helping us unpack its success.
The right person for the job must have experience at the intersection of technology and the arts; experience in conducting reviews of complex programs across multiple geographies; familiarity with processes to facilitate the collection, synthesis and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in different global contexts; and a proven track record of presenting information in a creative manner (e.g. data visualizations, infographics or similar). They should also be highly organized and analytical with strong written and oral communication skills in English.
Applicants need to submit a cover letter, samples of work, a brief concept note, a detailed proposed budget of up to $20,000 USD, and two to three references. Applicants can send the required documents by email with “Application CMA Retrospective” in the subject line to email: [email protected] by August 28, 2023. For any queries, please email with “Creative Media Awards Retro” in the subject line.
What the future holds
This reflection is the beginning of our Mozilla’s Creative Media Awards next chapter — the next half decade. With learnings in hand, we’ll launch our next call for proposals for the program in 2025. We’re excited to see the artists, art, and impact that emerges.