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How to fight Trump’s cyber dystopia with community, self-determination, care and truth
A presentation to the Asia Pacific Media Network by Mandy Henk, co-founder and director of Dark Times Academy. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ When the US Embassy knocked on my door in late 2024, I was both pleased and more than a little suspicious. I’d worked with them before, but the organisation where I did…
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MEDIA RELEASE: New online course from Dark Times Academy set to take on the Tech Bros with an all-star guest speaker line-up
Other new courses to address Christian Nationalism and ‘Decomputing’ AUCKLAND, 16 April 2025 – Community education provider Dark Times Academy has announced some bold new courses for its second term lineup for 2025, with topics covering the threat of Christian Nationalism, ‘decomputing’, and a special course about resisting the Silicon Valley ‘tech bros’ and oligarchs,…
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Instructor spotlight: Phill Simpson
Your class is titled A Pedagogy of Possibility – critical reading and writing. What do you think is the most important thing for people to know about this course? Essentially, the most important thing for people to know is that the course is designed to expand their understanding of both the process and purpose of…
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Innovation without Disruption–Visiting Risingholme and the Hagley Adult Literacy Centre
Last week has been an absolute whirlwind for us at Dark Times Academy. In addition to our amazing classes, we also were invited to deliver a counter disinformation workshop for the adult and community educators down in Christchurch. During our visit we were hosted by the lovely folks at Risingholme and we delivered our workshop at the Hagley…
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Instructor Spotlight: Piers Locke
Your class is titled Future Thriving: Meeting the Challenge of Post-Growth Transition. What do you think is the most important thing for people to know about Future Thriving? The course is about the planetary limits organised human life is breaching, the direct and indirect risks and consequences they are producing, and the attempt to transition toward…
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What I’ve Been Learning – Painting
I spent the weekend with a paintbrush in my hand, which is my favourite way to spend a weekend these days. About 3 years ago I decided to learn how to paint. I had been “art curious” for a while, but one weekend I decided to go ahead and just learn how to do it.…
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Welcome to Dark Times Academy!
These are hard times for those of us who love learning for the joy of learning and teaching for the joy of teaching. Dark Times Academy aims to offer a bright spot in all of this darkness–a place for affordable learning of the liberal and useful arts. A place where students can explore the world…
