An oversized Greenwich Village loft houses the computer labs, rotating exhibitions, and production workshops that are ITP -- the Interactive Telecommunications Program. Founded in 1979 as the first graduate education program in alternative media, ITP has grown into a living community of technologists, theorists, engineers, designers, and artists uniquely dedicated to pushing the boundaries of interactivity in the real and digital worlds. A hands-on approach to experimentation, production and risk-taking make this hi-tech fun house a creative home not only to its 220 students, but also to an extended network of the technology industry's most daring and prolific practitioners.
ITP is internationally recognized as a unique and vital contributor of new ideas and talented individuals to the professional world of multimedia and interactivity. The department takes a creative and professional approach to the challenges of the information age.
Experimentation is an essential element in understanding both the opportunities and responsibilities inherent in this evolving field. ITP's philosophy of a hands-on approach to learning relies on collaboration rather than competition, fostering a creative environment where exploration, analysis, risk-taking and experimentation can occur. The department provides an open and nurturing environment in which people are empowered to develop their own ideas, no matter how experimental. ITP emphasizes the user's creativity rather than the capability of the computer. The department challenges students to apply their creativity and imagination to the latest digital tools and techniques. The curriculum is devoted to teaching the practice and theory that emerge from the convergence of new media technologies.
The department, which began in 1979, grew out of the work of the Alternate Media Center which was founded in 1971. ITP and AMC have developed an international reputation for pioneering work in demonstration and research in the field of interactive media. 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Interactive Telecommunications Program.
