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Computer Class Summer Institute

The next Computer Class will take place June 1–5, 2026, on campus at the University of Toronto. We will begin accepting applications again in February 2026. Participants in these small group settings spend their time reading, writing, coding, making, and thinking at the Centre's Coach House on the campus of the University of Toronto.

Computer Class brings us back to primary school. We play, dream, doodle, futz, make, break, and debug computer programs. We draw pictures with code. We make our own chatbots. We read theory and philosophy and psychoanalysis. We work with primary documents from the history of computing. We learn new ways of getting on with these strange machines we call computers. We also decide how we spend our time together: Computer Class is participant-driven, dedicated to the question of what we actually want to do with our computers—and how to expand our desire for, with, and around computers.

The activities of Computer Class are oriented by the work of two computer scientists at MIT in the 1970s, when the idea of personal computing was still in formation. Seymour Papert and Joseph Weizenbaum had radically differing views of the place of computers in society and education—both of which were, in their way, equally radical. Papert and his team developed the LOGO educational programming environment, and worked to put computers running LOGO in as many classrooms as he could. We will be using an in-house translation of LOGO, called Ludus.

Weizenbaum, meanwhile, deeply distrusted the impulse to introduce the computer into as many domains of life as possible, publishing his scathing critique of this impulse in 1976 as Computer Power and Human Reason. We will work with Papert’s and Weizenbaum’s writing to better understand how we live with computers now, and what computation means for us. Papert was an ambivalent utopian; Weizenbaum a dedicated grump. In terms that might be familiar from media theory, Papert is Walter Benjamin; Weizenbaum, Theodor Adorno. (We’ll also unpack that analogy, and see if it holds up.) For more information about readings, visit the syllabus! () page.

Dates and Logistics

Computer Class runs all day, Monday, June 1, through Friday, June 5, approximately 10am to 6pm, in-person at the Centre for Culture and Technology Coach House on campus at the University of Toronto. Participants are expected to attend the institute in its entirety. Participants will be expected to complete a substantial amount of reading before the institute begins.

Costs

Fees for Computer Class are $1,500CAD for the week. Students are responsible for travel, room, and board costs. Massey College, on campus at University of Toronto, offers stylish and affordable accommodations for approximately $800CAD per week. Financial aid is available, and admission decisions are need-blind. Our goal is to turn no one away.

Application Info

All are welcome to apply, but priority will be given to humanities and fine arts graduate students. Computer Class is especially targeted towards students in terminal degree programs, such as MFA or PhD programs. Participants should have substantial interest in digital media culture or aesthetics, the history of computing, creative, or expressive coding, media theory, critical code studies, or other relevant artistic or humanistic research practice.

Applications should include:

> A current CV

> A one-page (single-spaced) statement of interest articulating how this institute might foster their research or artistic practice.

> Contact information for a supervisor (MA, MFA, or PhD advisor; or a non-supervisory faculty reference if in a pre-professional program like the MI, or a student does not yet have a formal advisor).

More Information

Inquiries about participation, application, and fees can be sent to Scott Richmond, Director, Centre for Culture and Technology, at s.richmond@utoronto.ca. The program can host up to 12 participants. We will hold space in the Computer Class Residencies for participants in the June run of Computer Class.

Computer Class Residency

In June 2026, the Centre will also be hosting our first Computer Class Residencies. These residencies are open to previous Computer Class participants. Academic, artistic, or other research projects of any kind are welcome. They are an opportunity to deepen their work at the Centre, access our technical and academic resources, code, create, and think together with fellow scholars/artists/people in residence. 1, 2, and 4 week residencies are possible.

> 1-week residencies will take place the week of June 8.

> 2-week residencies will take place the weeks of June 8 and 15.

> 4-week residencies will take place starting June 1. Applications for Computer Class Residencies will also open in February 2026.

Applications should include:

> A current CV

> A residency project sketch, not longer than one page, that describes how the applicant plans to use the residency time.

> Contact information for a supervisor (MA, MFA, or PhD advisor; or a non-supervisory faculty reference if in a pre-professional program like the MI, or a student does not yet have a formal advisor).

There is no cost to participate in the Computer Class residency program.

Inquiries about participation and the application can be sent to Scott Richmond, Director, Centre for Culture and Technology, at s.richmond@utoronto.ca. We will hold space in the Computer Class Residencies for participants in the June run of Computer Class.

Dates

Computer Class: June 1 to June 5, 2025

Computer Class Residencies: June 8-12, June 8-19, or June 1–26

Lodging/Accommodation

Computer Class is an in-person program held on the University of Toronto's St. George Campus. Participants will need to be able to get to campus by 10 a.m. during the week. Computer Class cannot pay for lodging directly, but can provide letters to assist students accessing travel funding from their graduate faculties.

Staying in Toronto Guide

If you're attending from out of town, here are a few tips for getting around the city (especially the area where computer class is hosted).

To get downtown from the airport during most hours of the day, purchase a Presto Card and take the UP Express to Union Station. The UP Express runs from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Switch to the TTC's Subway Line 1 (the yellow one). The Centre for Culture and Technology is located between Queen's Park Station and Museum Station. The Subway technically starts at 6 a.m. on weekdays and runs until 2 a.m. but it starts later on weekends and gets spotty after 12:30 a.m.. There are night buses that run along major subway lines and thoroughfares throughout the night.

If you are staying in the Massey College Residence or the area surrounding U of T, you may want to make use of the University's facilities during your stay. Certain U of T Buildings, including Robarts Library, are only accessible with a U of T student card.

Food & Drink

Around the CCT In Toronto, alcohol can be purchased at LCBO stores, convenience stores, and bottle shops.

If you're looking for food around the Centre, here are few places we recommend: