MAD Arts
481 S Federal Hwy, Dania Beach, FL 33004
Designed for high school students ages 15-18, The Last Human Studio is a three-day immersive storytelling and prototyping workshop culminating in a public performance on December 14th. Participants will enter The Last Human, an evolving world at the intersection of storytelling, performance, and AI. Working alongside artists and technologists from Columbia University’s Digital Storytelling Lab, they will prototype participatory scenes and speculative rituals exploring what it means to be human in the age of machines.
The workshop blends experience design, narrative design, and creative coding, guiding participants through hands-on experimentation and collaborative creation. Teams will develop interactive artifacts, performances, and interfaces that culminate in a live presentation at MAD Arts.
Through facilitated design labs and rehearsals, participants learn how to craft emotionally resonant, participatory experiences that blur the lines between audience and performer, human and machine.
To sign up, visit the MAD Arts’ front desk or send an email to studioprogram@yeswearemad.com.
You can find a full scope of the workshop here
Learning Objectives
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
Lance Weiler
Lance Weiler is a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University and Director of the Columbia University School of the Arts’ Digital Storytelling Lab. A pioneer in immersive and participatory narratives, his groundbreaking projects—The Last Broadcast, Frankenstein AI, Sherlock Holmes & the Internet of Things, and Where There’s Smoke—explore the intersection of storytelling, technology, and human experience. His work has been presented at Sundance, Tribeca, Lincoln Center, and the World Economic Forum. Weiler serves on the Peabody Awards’ Interactive Board and regularly lectures at global institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and the United Nations.
Nick Fortugno - Director of the Digital Game Development Program, City College of New York
Nick Fortugno is a designer of games and interactive narrative experiences, and the Director of the Digital Game Development Program at City College of New York. He has served as lead designer on acclaimed projects including Diner Dash, Ayiti: The Cost of Life, and Breaking Bad: The Interrogation, and co-created Frankenstein AI with Weiler and Rachel Ginsberg. Fortugno is also co-founder of the Come Out & Play street games festival and holds an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design.
Shar Simpson
Shar Simpson (she/they) is an educator, narrative designer, and author known for crafting emotionally resonant, immersive experiences across media. They teach Digital Storytelling and World Building at Columbia University and the School of Visual Arts, emphasizing co-creation and speculative play. Shar’s projects have appeared at Tribeca, CPH:DOX, Cannes XR, and Mozilla Fest. Their interactive YA novel Eighth Grade Witch was the first Choose Your Own Adventure title adapted into a graphic novel. Shar holds dual MFAs in Creative Writing and Interactive Media from CalArts.
Josh Corn - Creative Technology
Josh Corn is the founder and lead creative technologist at Double Take Labs, a transdisciplinary design studio merging creative technology and physical design. With a background in architecture, technical theater, and magic, his work has been featured by MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, and SXSW. He has designed interactive installations and robotic systems for clients such as KLM, Coors Light, and the Sloomoo Institute. Josh teaches creative coding at Columbia University and physical computing at CUNY, focusing on human-centered, tactile interactions that evoke wonder and connection.
