Info for prospectives
Mars College is a 3-month program, during which we build up a temporary village on a 20-acre stretch of open desert in Southern California called Mars, where we live, work, and study together.
The next Mars College will take place Q1 2023. The exact calendar is as follows:
The end of the quarter culminates in a final showcase and art installation called The Simulation, after which we dismantle the village, leaving no trace, to disband and await the next season.
We are looking for exceptional people with passions for art, technology, and other creative pursuits to join us. There are two categories of participants on Mars: those in the Mars residency and those in Mars college. Each one is described in the following sections.
This upcoming quarter is our third session overall, following 2021 and 2022. Mars College grew out out of a precursor in 2020 called BRAHMAN.
This is the most open-ended and least strings-attached way to be a part of our community, and how to participate with relatively few requirements.
Residents can be as much a part of the full Mars College program as they wish or can afford to be. They have an open invitation to all the activities we put on, and are encouraged to offer workshops or seminars in areas that interest them, but are not required to contribute much, other than basic upkeep of any facilities they use. T
Residents are expected to be self-reliant and arrange their own shelter, either by bringing a van or RV with them, or renting a room in Bombay Beach (we may be able to help with this).
The residency is optimal for self-directed and highly independent people, those with full-time jobs, those who are curious about visiting but not committed to stay for long, or those who are simply interested in joining our community but desire having comparatively fewer responsibilities or expectations of them.
Mars College is a structured and intentional 3-month program which is part educational and part incubator for specific art & tech initiatives and creative exploration.
Participants in Mars College are expected to sign up for a major field of study (details next section), regularly attend and contribute to the activities, and develop or contribute to a final project. The first half of the quarter will revolve around open-ended exploration of their fields, culminating with a midterm presentation outlining a project they wish to carry out. During the second half, they will develop projects together to present at the final showcase at the end of the quarter. While you need to declare a major, you are free to participate in all the other study groups or to propose your own.
Mars College is best for those with more free time, and seeking a deeper or more immersive experience while here. Participants who can take an active role in Mars College will receive priority for housing and other resources we have.
For 2023, we are organizing the following study groups at Mars College. All Mars College participants and Mars residents alike can participate in any or all of these study groups, or propose new ones, but Mars College participants are requried to declare at least one of them as a major, and contribute a final project to it.
Although these groups represent areas we wish to consolidate efforts into, Martians are encouraged to think outside the box and bring other disciplines into the study program.
The Simulation is a large art installation we are planning to build on Mars, which will represent the culmination of the efforts of the study groups. Each study group will contribute something to the Simulation. The Simulation is the guiding light for all the study groups, uniting them with a shared goal, as well as our offering to the Bombay Beach Biennale..
While the precise nature of The Simulation cannot be predicted ahead of time, we think it may include some of the following byproducts of the study groups:
The application for Mars College 2023 is below, or at this link. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis, and will respond to you to arrange a call and talk more details.
If you're interested in or have questions about any of this, or just feel like saying hi, we encourage you to reach out to us by e-mail, twitter, or instagram. You can subscribe for announcements on our newsletter.