Presenter

Valencia James is a Barbadian freelance performer, maker, and researcher interested in the intersection between dance, theatre, technology, and activism. She believes in the power of the arts to inspire change. Valencia’s work explores how emerging technologies like machine learning and computer vision might enhance creativity in her contemporary dance practice and vice-versa. She has presented her work at several international forums such as the 2015 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires and TEDxGoteborg. She has been a 2020 Rapid Response Fellow at Eyebeam, where she co-founded the Volumetric Performance Toolbox, a project that responds to the global pandemic by envisioning live online 3D dance performance as a new way for artists to connect to audiences from their living spaces using minimal equipment. Currently she is a Spring 2021 Remote Resident for Open-Source Software Art Tools at Carnegie Mellon University.