Round Name: Psychedelic DeSci and Art
X @showPsychedelic
Instagram @psychedelicpuppetshow
www.psychedelicpuppet.show
Empowering Decentralized Science and Art in Psychedelics
Our project aims to establish a vibrant and dynamic platform focused on funding and nurturing decentralized science and artistic projects related to psychedelics. As participants in the Gitcoin Funding round, our primary goal is to create a community-driven ecosystem where research and creativity converge to foster growth and innovation in the field of psychedelics.
Vision
We envision a platform that acts as a catalyst for scientific and artistic projects centered around psychedelics, providing a decentralized and transparent environment for researchers, artists, and community leaders to propose, collaborate, and receive funding for their initiatives. By leveraging the power of blockchain technology, we aim to democratize access to resources and decision-making processes, ensuring that all voices within our community are heard and valued.
Objectives
- Fund Decentralized Science: Support qualitative studies and research efforts that explore key areas of psychedelics. These studies will deepen our understanding of psychedelic science, therapy, history, cultural practices, and spirituality, providing valuable insights and data that can inform future projects and policies.
- Support Artistic Creations: Facilitate the creation of innovative and impactful artworks inspired by psychedelic science and qualitative studies. By providing financial resources and a supportive community, we aim to amplify the voices of artists and bring their visions to life, creating a rich tapestry of art that reflects the diverse experiences and insights gained from psychedelic research.
Approach
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Decentralized Platform: Utilize blockchain technology to create a decentralized platform that supports secure and transparent transactions, voting, and project management.
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Community Engagement: Foster a sense of community and collaboration through regular events, online forums, and interactive spaces where members can share ideas and feedback.
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Resource Allocation: Implement fair and equitable funding mechanisms to distribute resources to projects that align with our mission and values.
Impact
By focusing on decentralized science and artistic projects related to psychedelics, we aim to build a thriving ecosystem that supports research, creativity, and community engagement. Our project will not only provide tangible benefits to researchers and artists but also set a precedent for how decentralized platforms can effectively manage and distribute resources to drive positive change.
Join us in this exciting journey as we empower researchers and inspire artistic creations through our platform. Together, we can create a vibrant and inclusive future where science and art in the field of psychedelics flourish.
Round History:
Our organization is ready to launch its own Gitcoin round, having engaged in regular consultations with Ben West since May 2023 to prepare for this initiative. We deliberately delayed our round to ensure a clear strategic direction and a comprehensive understanding of our needs. Following extensive organizational development and a series of DAO planning workshops, we have crystallized our vision for conducting a successful Gitcoin round.
Our track record as a grantee in two past rounds (GG18 and GG19) speaks to our capability and success in executing impactful projects. Specifically, we successfully utilized the funds to host our inaugural live film festival in New York City on May 7, 2024, and to support two months of weekly workshops that fostered creative envisioning and draft an initial whitepaper for the organizations future development plans.
Team Running This Round:
Round Operator: Dr. Brad Necyk, PhD MFA BFA BComm
Brad Necyk is an artist and technologist whose practice focuses on mental illness, psychedelics, consciousness, and flourishing. He incorporates cutting-edge vision technologies, primarily AI video and 3D animation, into his artistic works and films.
Brad is a Postdoctoral Fellow at York University with VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) and Cinema & Media Arts, creating artistic works, poetry, and films. He is a co-founder and director of the Psychedelic Puppet Show Non-Profit, creating fun educational content about psychedelic science, therapy, history, and spirituality. He completed a research-creation PhD in Psychiatry at the University of Alberta, and his doctoral research was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal.
Team Member 1: Shawn Anderson, MSc
X @ygg_anderson
As an entrepreneurial data scientist with a Masters of Science degree from Simon Fraser University, I established Longtail Financial in 2018. This scientific research and experimental development company specializes in quantitative finance and blockchain technology. Longtail underwent a strategic shift in 2021, transforming into a token engineering services firm. Since then, we have successfully served over 15 clients across various domains, including DeFi, NFT gaming, NFT markets, DAO construction, privacy, commerce, hardware distribution, real-world assets, and more. Additionally, I have actively contributed to the Token Engineering Commons DAO and held a researcher position at the Token Engineering Academy, further solidifying my dedication to the field.
Team Member 2: Dr. Pam Kryskow, MD
Dr. Kryskow is trained as a Family Physician and has been active in the psychedelic space for years. She co-founded the Psychedelic Puppet Show, Roots to Thrive, and Psychedelic Association of Canada. Further, she is a frequent collaborator on Paul Stamets’ studies.
Additional Team Members:
The Psychedelic Puppet Show Non-Profit hosts a dedicated board of four members:
- Dr. Brad Necyk (Instagram/Twitter @bradnecyk)
- Dr. Pam Kryskow,
- Aaron Munson (Instagram @aamunson)
- Scott Nelson.
Additionally, we have strengthened our team by appointing Brad Necyk as Executive Director and Ona Praderas as our Community Engagement Officer.
Our network extends to renowned figures in the field, including:
- Paul Stamets (famed myscologist, Twitter/Instagram paulstamets)
- Rick Doblin (founder of MAPS)
- Jason Silva (TV personality, Twitter/Instagram jasonsilva)
- Chris Dyer (famed artist, Instagram chris_dyer)
as well as key psychedelic organizations such as - MAPS (Instagram maps_org)
- Psychedelic Assembly (Instagram psychedelic_assembly)
- Propeller (Instragram propeller.la)
- Psychedelic Association of Canada (Instagram psychedelicassociation)
To ensure the integrity and alignment of our grant review process, our board members will serve as the primary reviewers. This approach guarantees that all proposals are evaluated thoroughly to align with our mission and values.
Alignment with Gitcoin’s Mission 3 and Essential Intents 1:
We align with Gitcoin’s mission and essential interests, as our focus in this round is to lay the groundwork for a global, decentralized, and self-governed community that raises psychedelic awareness and adds to the public good. We believe that cutting-edge technologies such as digital media, AI, and blockchain can enable this vision through a read, write, generate, and own platform that empowers and compensates creators and contributors, growing a collaborative and supportive community.
We believe that psychedelics will have a positive personal and collective impact and our organization aims to expand their awareness and destigmatize them. Our organization stands in firm alignment with Gitcoin’s mission and core principles. In this round of funding, our primary objective is to establish a solid foundation for a global, decentralized, and autonomous community that fosters psychedelic awareness and contributes to the betterment of society. We firmly believe that cutting-edge technologies like digital media, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain possess the potential to realize this vision.
Envision a platform that empowers and compensates creators and contributors, enabling them to read, write, generate, and own content. Such a platform would facilitate the growth of a collaborative and supportive community, fostering innovation and creativity. By leveraging these technologies, we can create a space where individuals are recognized and rewarded for their contributions, leading to a more engaged and vibrant community.
Furthermore, we strongly believe in the positive personal and collective impact of psychedelics. Our organization is committed to expanding awareness and destigmatizing these substances. We aim to educate the public about the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, challenging misconceptions and promoting responsible use. By working towards a more informed and understanding society, we hope to create a space where individuals can openly discuss and explore the potential of psychedelics without fear of judgment or stigma.
Our vision extends beyond the immediate round of funding. We envision a future where psychedelic knowledge is widely accessible, and individuals have the freedom to explore their consciousness in safe and supportive environments. We believe that by aligning with Gitcoin’s mission and utilizing innovative technologies, we can lay the groundwork for a more enlightened and compassionate world.
Anticipated Size of the Matching Pool:
We are planning to contribute $10,000 CAD in matching funds from a private Bitcoin donation we received in November of 2023. When selected, we feel confident in raising further matching funds through donations.
ETH address: 0xadaa3b0d9b96df7e338b6db62e7daa073e0e94a5
Further fundraising:
In late-2024, our organization is preparing for the launch of an NFT collection of twenty 1-minute digital video works about alternate histories with psychedelic puppets coming at key moments of consciousness expanding inspiration. The primary objective of this initiative is to continue raising funds through various channels, including online platforms and potential partnerships with sponsors and donors.
Simultaneously, we are actively collaborating with CreativeBC, an organization dedicated to fostering the development of creative industries in British Columbia. Through this strategic partnership, we aim to secure matching funds that will be instrumental in supporting the development phase of an exciting TV series. This ambitious project will serve as a platform to showcase the exceptional talent and creativity within our growing community of collaborators.
Furthermore, our non-profit organization will become eligible for funding from the Canada Council for the Arts in 2025. This milestone will provide financial support that will enable us to expand our reach, enhance our programming, and continue to make a positive impact on the cultural landscape of psychedelics.
See NFT collaboration examples below:
Advisors for This Round:
- Scott Nelson (long-term web3 investor)
- Shawn Anderson (blockchain engineer and founder of Long Tail Financial)
- Adam Szymanski (Art Consultant specializing in NFTs)
- Ben West (Gitcoin).
Funding Mechanism:
For this funding round, we will utilize the pluralistic QF (Quadratic Funding) algorithm, a collusion-resistant version, to ensure fair and equitable distribution of funds. The maximum matching amount will be capped at 10%, with a minimum donation requirement of $1. This approach guarantees that contributions from our community are amplified, supporting a diverse range of decentralized science and art projects related to psychedelics.
Community Size and Engagement:
With an increasing number of thought leaders in the psychedelic space, our focus is expanding to include and empower creators globally. Through our social media platforms and support from influencers like Paul Stamets and Jason Silva, we’ve reached over a million people. Our goal is to bring more creators into the fold, allowing them to share their visions and experiences.
In November 2023, we received a 0.5 Bitcoin donation, along with community support from two Gitcoin rounds totalling approximately 2 Ethereum. These funds have been used to fund two positions in our organization, put on a live film festival in NYC, create a DAO blueprint, and connect with dozens of creatives globally.
We aim to fund projects that align with two core areas development:
- Decentralized Science
- Artistic Creations
We are committed to funding 6-8 outstanding projects that promise sustainable growth and long-term benefits for our organization and community. With five core contributors currently driving our vision forward, we are keen to welcome additional individuals and organizations. Their fresh perspectives and innovative approaches will undoubtedly enrich and expand our capabilities beyond what we could achieve independently. We are enthusiastic about the prospect of incorporating new voices into our project, enhancing its diversity and impact.
Impact Assessment Plan:
In collaboration with Shawn Anderson from Longtail Financial, we will explore the potential of Hypercerts and DeReSy to enhance our grant assessment process. Hypercerts could be used to create a transparent, verifiable record of a project’s impact, allowing us to track and reward achievements effectively. These tokens would enable us to retrospectively fund projects based on their proven impact, fostering a more dynamic and responsive funding model.
With DeReSy, we could implement a robust system for on-chain project reviews, providing clear, immutable assessments of each project’s progress and outcomes. This would allow for transparent and objective evaluations, facilitating better decision-making for future grant allocations.
By working with Longtail Financial, we aim to integrate these technologies into our grant-making process, ensuring that we fund projects that offer significant, verifiable impact. This strategic collaboration will help us leverage cutting-edge blockchain technology to make more informed and impactful funding decisions.
Additional Considerations:
Our organization, dedicated to promoting public good, believes in the transformative power of psychedelics and the arts towards making a better world. We view artists as essential in shaping public perception and preparing society for the changes psychedelics can bring. Recognizing the value of their work, we advocate for fair compensation for artists. Through this funding round, we aim to support projects that establish enduring, sustainable contributions to our organization and vision, empowering artists to create and disseminate their work, thereby influencing global consciousness positively.
Potential Conflicts of Interest:
Not that we are aware of.
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