The main purpose of MediaBarCamp 2012 is to stimulate New Media projects development in the region using new media technologies. MediaBarCamp is a non-political multicultural event, oriented on those who are out of the Mainstream Framework and who have clear view of what is going on right here and right now. They are the people who film videos about their activities, express their thoughts in blogs, make podcasts and photo reviews on everything around them. In other words, they are supposed to be skilled at high end media technologies.

New media today is the existence of a new medium of modern culture. All around us, all that makes our daily lives - is also a culture that exists because of the media space. And being onlinethere are many options: the use of panopticheskogo facebook.com and google.com to alternative social networks (joindiaspora.com) and homemade microblog (thimbl.net). Today, it is not enough tocapture video, process photography, writing podcasts. It has become important with what and for whom you are doing. MediaBarCamp invites all who are willing to take part in the creation of the new media space.

More than 110 participants from Belarus, Ukraine and Baltic states are expected to take part in MediaBarCamp 2012. Participants’ presentations and speeches will form the festival program. Special attention will be given to alternative informational media platform, micro bloggs and social networks.

MediaBarCamp is a non-commercial event, no organizer aims profit earning with the activity. That is why no participation fees specified. Accommodation, travel and visa expenses will possibly be refunded for participants from Belarus and Ukraine. In order to participate you must register and work up a presentation of your project. Deadline for MediaBarCamp applicants is based on the admittance of visas for non-EU citizens. Those who need visa support must apply till April 2nd, 2012. Total deadline for new participants is April 16th, 2012

According to MediaBarCamp regulations, all participants shall feel free and comfortable during the whole even and responsibly enjoy the Open Space offered for them only. Absolute freedom of movement, self-motivation, networking with other participants and circulation among different venues of presentations is highly supported and expected. The venue will be located in a countryside style. The whole conference area will be covered with a free Wi-Fi for your convenience and the whole 4 days event will be filled with captivating presentations in three different venues by different
speakers (at least half an hour per presentation).

New media today is a new environment for the existence of modern culture, which is not museums’ dust collecting stuff. It is being created right here and right now. Elements of human environment that collaboratively create our daily routine are also a culture. This kind of culture exists due to media area. Shooting videos and editing photos on computer became incredibly easy, it is no more the duty of specially trained ‘caste’ of journalists. MediaBarCamp invites everyone who is ready to participate in new media area creation. Supplementary information is available at the MediaBarCamp web-site http://mediabarcamp.com/

MediaBarCamp is a unique international ‘non-conference’ on new media and media activism. First launched in 2008 in Lithuania, MediaBarCamp gathered about 100 participants from Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and Finland. Successful start inspired the present year sequel.

The campsite has neither shop nor currency exchange office, that is why take actions in advance. You can use Snoras Bankas and Parex Bankas stalls for this purpose, both of them are near the bus station in Vilnius. Besides, take some cash with you. If there won’t be any need for money (well, it happens), one can easily bring it back. You may be asked by a borderer how much money you have got. In case there are some one or two dollars for the whole trip, there might be questions…

Weather. It is 50% of our success. Yet the forecasts sound not very shiny, a windcheater and an umbrella will stand you in good stead. Although don’t you forget about swimming trunks, swimsuits and towels.

Help Team. Your help will be needed! Actually, barcamps are organized by their attendees; we made no secret of that. Components of the program are dependant on the participants themselves. Volunteers have marked the appropriate item in the registration form. Help team members will be having different-color T-shirts.

Questions. If you have questions about participation or any other aspect of MediaBarCamp, ask them in comments. The answers will also be found there or in the special post.

We’ve got a suggestion for all the twitter-people: tag your posts about MediaBarCamp as #mediabarcamp, and the entire news channel on Twitter will appear  http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23mediabarcamp.

The MediaBarCamp 2009 holding place is overwhelmingly beauty and unique. Take your cameras with you. My bet is that your colleagues will burn in envy while watching your photos! All the web-site visual materials are photos of MediaBarCamp 2008.

The event will be held on the former pioneer-camp territory. Accommodation refers to fully-equipped houses with beds and furnishing. Please, leave your tents and sleeping bags at home. Although make sure you’ve taken your swimming trunks, swimsuits and towels. This kind of stuff will prove useful to you. Generally speaking, the less stuff – the better.

Mobile communication in Lithuania. You may enable roaming service and pay Belarusian (Russian, Ukrainian) mobile operators generously. You may act in a simple way, as well. When in Vilnius, you can buy a Lithuanian pre-paid pack ‘Tele2 Pildyk, which costs 7 Litas (?2). There will be 6 Litas on your account, and the home-country SMS will cost some 0,15 Litas, all incoming free. No ID is demanded. The nearest office of Tele2 is in the first floor of the bus station. Currency exchange offices are the Snoras Bankas kiosk, which is in front of the us station, and the Parex Bankas kiosk, which is between the bus station and the railway station.

We’ve already sent the invitations. Check your mailbox. If you have doubts about your participation, address mediabarcamp@gmail.com by all means.

One way bus ticket costs nearly 40 000 Belarusian rubles, depending on the trip. The price swings between 37 500 to 41 000, ?11 approximately. Bus has one disadvantage, limited number of places. Well, you are free to choose, to decide and to buy tickets. Besides, it is possible to reserve bus tickets and to buy them directly before the voyage. Call paid phone number 114, Belarusian bus-terminal directory inquiries. Earnest request, do not put off your tickets purchase, there won’t be any left!

Train-ticket price may be sufficiently different, depending on the type of train and sleeper. Cheap tickets are highly recommended as the whole journey from Minsk to Vilnius takes four hours. Thank you for optimizing the organizers’ budget.

Travel expenses will be compensated for those participants from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine who show the ticket. If only one way ticket is shown, only one way travel will be refunded. In order to have the return ticket compensated, one must show both an original return ticket and a copy. In case some consular charge was paid, keep the receipt. For participants from Russia and Ukraine, maximum ?100 travel expenses per person will be refunded. For detailed information about travel grants address our ambassadors.

You may choose any mean of transport, but make sure you will be in Vilnius by 12 a. m. June 5, 2009. If you lag behind or a contingency has happened, contact us. By all means, we will try and solve your problem. The meeting place is an area between the train station and the bus station.

The meeting place (Google Maps Version)

Car is an unacceptable way of getting to MediaBarCamp, we believe. Car trip is a non-ecological and overpriced mean of travel. What is more, we will not be able to refund mandatory insurance document (a ?30 Green Card), fuel charges, parking etc. If you really want to show off, travel by bicycle. All right, just kidding.

For more information visit map.

Full bus schedule may be found at the MinskTrans web-site, for train schedule go to http://poezda.net/.

Any questions still? Please ask in comments!

• Belarusian Independent Media: Question of Survival (En)
• Overcoming the ‘Black Hole’ Image (En)
• On-line Communities (En)
• A-plus Radio: the 1st Internet Radio Station in Belarus (Ru)
• Visual Simulation, Journalism, Internet (Ru)
• Virus Marketing in Internet-Project Buildup (Ru)
• Neighbourhood Football (Ru)
• ITV and Mobile TV in Belarus (Ru)
• Using Open Source Technologies in Modern Web-Media Projects (Ru)
• Кairos: an Attempt of Running a Collective Political Blog in Belarus (Ru)
• How to Infect the Entire City With Cinema Virus and to Film a Professional Video with Amateurs (Ru)
• Multiple-User Blogs (Ru)
• Literary Performance (By)
• Lobbying Bicyclists’ Rights (By)
• ‘Rooki’ Lyceum Newspaper: Civil Activity Development Stimulation (Ru)
• Minsk: the Seamy Side of the City, Photo (Ru)
• Youth Media in Belarus (Ru)
• Music in the Internet (Ru)
• Illegal Mass Media: Advantages, Disadvantages and Reefs (Ru)
• Regional Tabloid: Issue Organization (Ru)
• Astrawieckaja Nuclear Power Plant: We are Against (Ru)
• Party Internet Press Service (Ru)
• ‘Twoj Styl’ Media Project Presentation (Ru)
• Art-camp Project Presentation (Ru)
• Problems and Solutions in Regional Internet, Co-operative Development of Small Projects (Ru)
• Guest ByFly Project-Development Problems (Ru)
• Studying Web-journalism in Belarusian State University: What Will Students Be Taught and by Whom (Ru)
• ‘Haliafy’ Publishing Presentation (By)
• ‘Teksty’ Magazine Presentation (By)
• Regional Infoblog Development after the Example of www.s13.ru (Ru)
• Mass Media and Forming of National Identity (By)
• Creating and Building-Up On-line Labels’ and Web Galleries’ (Ru)
• ‘TOK’, a Magazine on Belarusian Electronic Music (Ru)
• Forming of Local Internet Communities (Ru)

To be continued and updated in comments…