Glitching the Future
Bubblegum Club X ZAM Magazine
Glitching the Future is a collaborative initiative between Bubblegum Club (Johannesburg) and ZAM Magazine (Amsterdam), two platforms committed to cultural production that is rooted in social justice, creative innovation, and radical imagination, particularly as it pertains to the African continent and its diaspora..
The partnership was born out of a shared recognition that digital systems—particularly those shaped by Big Tech—are not neutral. They reflect and reinforce the inequalities of the world they emerge from. In response, Glitching the Future seeks to disrupt these systems by foregrounding African Futurist and Afrofeminist perspectives that challenge extractive, exclusionary technologies and propose more ethical, inclusive alternatives.
Central to this initiative is this microsite, a Digital Toolkit and evolving digital repository of artworks, essays, sonic works, and visual assets. These contributions are created by artists, technologists, and thinkers from across the African continent and diaspora. The Toolkit is not just a static resource; it is a platform for ongoing engagement, conversation, and reimagining. It reflects our collective desire to shift narratives around digital technologies, access and power.
This project matters now more than ever. As our lives become increasingly enmeshed with digital infrastructures, there is an urgent need to create space for new visions—visions that centre community, care, creativity, and justice. Through this collaboration, Bubblegum Club and ZAM Magazine aim to co-develop tools and languages for navigating and glitching the digital present to imagine freer futures.
Project Funding
The Glitching the Future project is generously supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL (Het Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie), Het Cultuurfonds, De Vriendenloterij and the compassionate people who powered our crowdfund with their belief and commitment.
Honorary Founding Members:
Fred Leferink
Dijs Verhagen
Hans Mooren
