Co-DirectorDigital Democracy
Jen Castro is a community organizer and artist now living in Tio’tia:ke (Montreal, Canada), as part of the Kichwa-Mestiza diaspora. She has been using digital and analogue tech to bring communities closer to where they want to go. Her work has largely centered on reframing projects to uphold dignity and traditional ways of being in communities whose rich cultures and histories are generally overlooked or imposed on by uninvited external forces. Jen’s work is rooted in analysis of how industry, migration, displacement, and social constructs intersect and impact both communities and individuals working towards social and climate justice. This engagement with the grassroots was forged in community-based artistic practices and storytelling. While living in Montreal, she is focused on adapting materials and methodologies for learning to use digital tools and thinking about technology, and is driven to expand explorations of cross-cultural communities through language, technology, and art.