Hello friends!
Welcome to dr((((((o))))))ne jam

What will we make at drone jam? We’ll make experimental games, toys, or playful things related to the idea of sustained tones. The games can be digital or physical. They can be meandering daydreams. They can be tiny toys that you make in just one hour. As long as they emerge from the feeling of drone, whatever that means to you.

Who is this for? Anyone who is curious about making tiny playful drone games together. You don’t need to know how to make games, you don't need to know about drones, you don't need to know about jams. We welcome any beings who would like to tap into the drone vibrations that hold us all together.

What is a drone? Drones are sustaiiiiiiined sounds or looooong tones. Drones are the vibrations that underpin all things, that occupy the spaces between us, that hold us together. Every year at the end of May we celebrate drone day, a day where people make drone sounds all around the world. People have made collaborative sounds with insects, with refrigerators, with synths, with snowmobiles, with their own voices, with hundreds of people, alone in their homes, in every possible way. Listen?

What is a game jam?It’s an event where people come together to make games together. It’s like a quilting bee, a hackathon, or a gathering when people get together to cook a bunch of different desserts together (is this a real thing? It should be!)

What is a game? Yes! A game is anything that moves you or makes your bones sing. When you were very small, you played in infinite ways. There were explorations, there were imaginings, and you were a delightful, heart-melting little monster. Everything you put your tiny little fingers on was a plaything. Drone jam is an invitation to make anything that moves or delights you. Please start with that spirit of tactile and sensory play!

Where is drone jam? Our conversations will be online, on Discord. We’ll post the final games to Itch and/or the droneday.org website.

When is drone jam? Drone jam is May 7 - May 14, and you are welcome to wander in and out. How much time you spend at drone jam is totally up to you. Tiny 1-hour creations are totally welcome.

Drone Jam:

• May 7, 1pm ET Kickoff! Make new friends! Bring your friends! Form a team?
• May 7 - May 14 Make experimental drone games on any of these days! Join us for coworking in the voice channel on Discord?
• May 14, 10am ET time? Post your game, a short description, and a 20 second video to Itch!

Celebration:

• May 14, 12pm ET time? We'll share our games at A MAZE. Berlin online!
• May 28 Play our games on drone day at droneday.org!!!

Need some inspiration?

• Drone toys: Make a toy or instrument that people can use to make their own drone experience like this site (click on things to make noise)
• Tiny drone: You could make a tiny game or toy in 30 minutes. Tiny drones are drones
• Silent drone: You could make a game, toy, or web thing that plays with the idea of drones, vibrations, or deep listening -- without playing any sound. Here’s an example!
• Visual drone: You could paint an eternal tone
• Story drone: You could write a story about a tiny creature that lives in the spaces between your cells, singing the vibrations that keep you alive
• Body drone: You could make a harmonious drone game that you play with your voice and the voices of your friends (no computers needed)
• Dirt drone: You could make a drone game for plants
• Food drone: You could make a meal that feels like drone
• Celestial drone: You could tap into the movement of the stars to control a character on a website
• Bridge drone: You could attach a vibration sensor to a bridge and let the cars make drones for you
• Scavenger drone: You could repurpose the skeleton of another project and transform it into a drone toy

Tips

• Teams: If you want to jam alone, you can! If you want to jam with friends, bring them! If you want to make new friends to jam with, come to the kickoff on May 7, 1-2:30 pm ET. If you need to miss the kickoff but need a team, let us know!
• Community: There will be coworking in the Discord. Join us in to cowork, colearn, or vibe with other people
• Ideas: You can bring an idea or you can come find one. There are so many ideas
• Reuse, revive, resource: If you want to re-use materials, revive the bones of lost projects, use templates or resources to build your game, that’s welcome!
• Keep it small: The idea should be so small that you can make it with your team in one joyful rush of energy (a few hours), everything after that is experimenting and playing around for fun.
• Be experimental: - Half-working, uninterpretable, and strange interpretations of extended tones are very welcome.
• Energy: Drone Jam is a gentle, slow jam. Work with people who make you feel good about yourself, work in a way that feels good for you.
• Yes/No: Yes to mutual respect, curiosity, experimentation, care, rest, and listening. No to racism, transphobia, sexism, ableism, spamming.

Who is organizing this jam? This jam is organized by Marie LeBlanc Flanagan with support and thanks to Ida Toft, Illest Preacha, Gaeel and wyrd arts, a community of artists, musicians, and community organizers in canada who are excited about experimental creative expression.

Sign up! Join us on Discord, or send Marie an email at [email protected]