11th Annual Cracks in the Concrete Conference – Culture, Identity & AI: Reclaiming Our Digital Futures

Join CREAN for the 11th annual Cracks in the Concrete conference. For 2026, our theme, “Culture, Identity & AI: Reclaiming Our Digital Futures, explores how artificial intelligence, digital systems, and technology intersect with culture, identity, and community well-being

In an era where technology influences everything from mental health services to creative practice, the conference invites youth, practitioners, Elders, researchers, and community members to ask:

Whose voices are shaping these systems? How can technology be used intentionally to support equity, accessibility, and cultural safety? And how can communities reclaim digital spaces as tools for connection, creativity, and healing?

Across three days, we’ll explore the possibilities and risks of AI through art, dialogue, and youth-led innovation while centering community knowledge, lived experience, and self-determination:

Friday, March 20:
– Culture Identity & AI: An Art Exhibition (5:30 – 7:30 pm)

Saturday, March 21:
– AI for Good: Accessibility, Community Mapping & Public Engagement (1:00 – 2:00 pm)
– Healing in A Digital World (2:00 – 3:00 pm)
– Youth Hackathon Showcase: If We Designed the Algorithm (3:30 – 4:30 pm)
– Algorithm, Ancestry, and AI: Exploring the Intersection (4:30 – 5:30 pm)

Sunday, March 22:
– Walking Tour: Mapping Power, Place & Belonging (1:00 – 2:00 pm)