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Debbie Deer  

Thought Leader in Creative Technology; CEO of Orion Digital Inc. & Debbie Deer Productions

Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Debbie is an award winning creative technologist, digital content creator, performer, educator and speaker. As the CEO of her multi-media companies Debbie Deer Productions and Orion Digital Innovations and Creations Inc., Deer has been a featured speaker at XR Women, Cosmic Northside Afro-Futurist Conference, The Gatherverse She and AI Summits, Next Stage (Los Angeles), VRTO and the DR. VR Show. She is a published playwright and journalist. Deer has been featured by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Global TV. Debbies Journal, 'Utilizing XR as a Pedagogical and Continuous Learning Tool for the Performing Arts' will be featured in the University of Guelphs Canadian Theatre Review in 2025. In her teenage years, was a beauty queen with the title of 1st Runner Up Ms. Jamaica Universe.

This year Debbie is excited and honoured to be the keynote speaker at the Gratitude in Motion Visionary Gathering, advocating for digital wellness and awareness. In 2024, Deer received the Collimation Creators Award and Grant for excellence in Virtual Reality Production. Deer's work has been featured in and selected for the Toronto International Film Festival's 'Deep Focus', Center For Social Innovation, Toronto Fringe Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In June 2024, Deer's VR production 'Stories from the Desert Sky' was featured at the Lightrail Festival in Washington DC. She will also be the Production Lead for the Everything Makes Me Laugh Immersive at InterAccess Gallery with Governor General Award Winning Artists Bruce Eves.

Speech Topics

Topic: Diverse Voices in XR and How We Influence The Singularity

Demystifying the connection between humanity and technology through an examination of XR today and AI use cases tomorrow. This talk will be led by Creative Technologist Debbie Deer. Debbie will be referencing her work with the Performance and XR/Single Thread Theatre IBPOC Fellowship and their project ‘Hidden Place’. She will also connect her research into ancient simulation theory (such as the Dogan, Hindu, Sumerian, Egyptian and Greek Cultures) and how this has been used throughout time to deconstruct the meaning and mechanics of life. Parallels will also be drawn in how the natural intelligence of life influences and informs our future with AI. This will all end with a concept video or VR demo for the piece ‘You Are The AI.”

Attendee Results:

  • A deeper understanding of the parallels natural intelligence and artificial intelligence
  • Historical context of humanity as the creators or technology and it's significance to our world today
  • Evidence of complex and sophisticated technology such as ancient 'wifi' in Egypt
  • The necessity to create a digitally responsible world of citizens that incorporate diversity in technology
  • Use cases for the efficacy of applied ethical AI and how it benefits our world

Utilizing Extended Reality (XR) as a Pedagogical and Continuous Learning Tool for the Performing Arts

Incorporating Extended Reality (XR) in academia and the performance arts is becoming increasingly significant as technology permeates cultural and artistic practices. XR encompasses environments and experiences that merge virtual and physical realities, utilizing technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). The concept of XR is not entirely new; historical antecedents like the 'stereoscope' invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1838 demonstrate early forms of virtual reality. The term 'avatar', for instance derived from the Sanskrit 'avatara', underscores the longstanding human fascination with virtual representation. In contemporary practice, XR provides enhanced storytelling dimensions, cost efficiency in production, and global audience connectivity. For example, my work with York University for the hybrid theatre production "Aionos", used VR to recreate Ancient Egyptian settings, allowing for immersive audience experiences and significant cost savings. Despite these advantages, challenges such as the accuracy of free 3D models and the technical limitations of VR hardware persist. As educators and practitioners, we need to emphasize the necessity of pedagogical approaches to XR, fostering mentorship and education to prepare for a technologically integrated future in the arts. The ongoing evolution of AI and its potential to revolutionize XR production further highlights the need for ethical and legislative frameworks to safeguard creative professions. This exploration of XR's potential underscores its transformative impact on the performing arts and the imperative for continued innovation and adaptation.

Attendee Results:

  • Learn how XR can be used to bridge the gap between traditional pedagocial appraoches to education and technology
  • Receive data on why it is essential for the new workforce across all sectors to have detailed, relevant knowledge in XR
  • Examine the benefits and challenges in applying XR technology in academia, particularly in the production and performing arts
  • Future forecasts on how agentic (Complex AI models for human resources) can be used to reduce or eliminate mundane tasks

What the Tech?! Using technology to heal traumatic experiences and to revolutionize gaps in Psychological and Medical Technology

Could technology as simple as Youtube posts from accredited psychologists have healed your grandmothers generational trauma? What if your grandmother had access to Youtube and other forms of technology geared toward rewiring her trauma in her youth? Would this have in turn saved you and the your family from epigenetic pitfalls? This theory and others examining the use of technology to intentionally and ethically alter the neurology of human participants past and present experiences are areas this talk aims to discuss We look at studies conducted by the United Health Network, Kite Institute and York University to see how research on healing and preventing trauma informs the invention of new med-tech hardware and software.

Attendee Results

  • Participants will have access to research on how technology can be used to ethically alter ones neurology
  • Insights into future technology for med-tech sectors that address psychological and physical trauma
  • Discussions on how popular culture like the use of social media can be used to positively impact and inspire the next generation

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