Ideas for social distancing creative wellbeing

[bonemap]

Hi,

I see a number of online Social Distancing festivals popping-up around the internet in response the the vivid case of the global pandemic. 

Is anyone interested in a Isadora themed online share event? In solidarity with those in lockdown, self-isolation, or various other situations of fear and loathing associated with COVID-19.

If so what is a great or at lest good online platform to use for such a thing? In response to Coronavirus Google has offered free access to premiere features associated with its Hangouts. There are a few other possibilities.

I assume like many of you I am getting major show cancellations right through the coming months. An online alternative towards creative wellbeing is needed.

Suggestions welcome

Best wishes

Russell

[dbini]

nice idea Russell. i just had to cancel an Isadora workshop I was going to be running in a couple of weeks. we could do a virtually-bring-your-own-beamer type thing and share ideas? or a patch party where everyone starts with a blank scene and the same starting theme. i've not used Google hangouts, but i guess it does screen sharing and voip, so that would probably work for getting a gang together.

[Bill Cottman]

@bonemap: Lovely idea. I have not used Google Hangouts. I would participate.

[bonemap]

@dbini said:

a patch party

Hi John,

That sounds great. Let’s give it a tryout! I haven’t used Google Hangouts before but there is no harm in trying it. Just have to agree on a day and time, considering time differences.

best

[mark]

Dear All,

I think these are all great ideas and I hope that you make it happen. I myself have something brewing that I'll announce tomorrow. ;-)

Best Wishes,
Mark

[Michel]

@bonemap

We at the Zurich University of the Arts use https://zoom.us its free for up to 100 participants and you have a limit of 40 minutes for each meeting.
Another open source tool is called https://bigbluebutton.org, I never used it actively but am quite impressed of its features. Here a youtube video about its functions for a presenter.

Best Michel

[bonemap]

@mark said:

I myself have something brewing that I'll announce tomorrow.

 Hi Mark,

I would think that any activity focused on Isadora would be ideally facilitated by and through the Official Isadora team. If you have something in mind that we, the users, can participate in, then I am sure that will be the most appropriate way to go forward with this concept.

Looking forward to hearing what you have in mind. Would be delighted to participate in an online event with you and the team.

Best Wishes

[knowtheatre]

So the main theatre I work at is brainstorming a number of projects to keep the creative juices (as well as revenue) flowing, but here's what I pitched to a local arts services organization.  I was thinking about something a bit outside of the theatre's purview for my own artistic well-being.  I'm envisioning something of a traveling projection installation, a "mobile Blink" (Cincinnati-based light festival) as it were, projecting onto houses, lawns, apartment buildings as we drive down different neighborhoods.  Obviously, we couldn't do the complex mapping that some of the pieces in Blink utilized...it would need to be textural, atmospheric.  I'd love to collaborate with other artists to create the content.  I have no idea how feasible this would be; we'd need a truck with a generator to power the projectors, and a powerful enough projector to be seen through any ambient streetlight.  And what's the legality of projecting a high lumen image onto a private residence?  Would we be able to drive slowly enough that the project would be seen?  Do we video the "performance," or do people just experience it out their windows?  Would the projections even look cool, being thrown onto such varied surfaces (I think they would, but never having done something like this, I'm not sure)?  So that's my hare-brained scheme.  Might be totally illogical, or there might be something to it, or adapted and reworked into something awesome.  Thoughts?  Let's get through this together!

[dbini]

@knowtheatre

Hi Doug, i once saw a video of a project where an artist was driving down narrow streets projecting a running tiger onto buildings. the animation speed was controlled by the speed of the vehicle. it was pretty cool.

[bonemap]

@knowtheatre

Hi, 

Love the concept of projecting from a moving vehicle. It really pushes the ephemeral nature of projection to some kind of limit. I would be able to provide something for that, if it goes ahead. Let me know because it is an interesting challenge to think about.

Best wishes

Russell

[bonemap]

@michel said:

Zurich University of the Arts use https://zoom.us

 Hi 

I use zoom at work too. Do you think it has the global uptake to try as a show platform?

Best wishes

[Michel]

@bonemap

Well there are so many platforms. One key feature is, that if you want meetings that go longer than 40 minutes an more than 100 participants, only the Moderator needs a pro license and you can even invite people without them to have an account.

Best Michel

[bonemap]

Hi,

I attended the YouTube live Guru session presented by @Mark on Wednesday. It was great, and I hope @mark was encouraged to see over 60 viewers streaming his sessionto many different countries in real-time.

 My Timezone is 9hrs ahead so it was 3am start on Thursday. I have engaged in international online symposia and have had experiences of dealing with time zones similar to this before. I conducted a node for the international water day symposia for a number of years. I streamed live performances using Isadora with my dance artist partner as well as guest artist talks etc. The focus of world water day was around environmental issues and concerns. Many of these sessions were conducted with participants in other timezones so they were never at the usual time of an evening performance or event. Is this going to be the new normal, I wonder?

@Mark has announced another Guru session that is aimed at more introductory tutorials, which is a wise gesture for the uptake of new Isadora users and deserves applause.

At this point it would be really beneficial to set in motion an online symposia style event for creative work and discussion perhaps with a focus on Isadora projects and creative outcomes/output.

If there is some interest in this development let me know here. If so we can start a discussion and use some online scheduling tools and calendars to plan and make it happen. The suggestion by @Michel of using Zoom software for this is good as it allows more collaborative toolsets and is supported by many of the institutions where Isadora advanced users work.

I look forward to your response either as an Isadora user that might contribute a session or as someone who has an interest in just hooking in to something interesting and artistic.

Let the creative recovery begin!

best wishes

The bonemap team

[Woland]

@bonemap

I'd love to participate. I'm going bonkers being cooped up in my flat all day.

[Juriaan]

@bonemap

I'm in :) Let's try to get a group together and create something beautifull

[tomthebom]

Hi, I might not play in your league, but I am definitely on ;o)
Best wishes, Tom

[Woland]

@tomthebom said:

Hi, I might not play in your league

Do not ever say or think this. 

It is my firm belief that every Isadora user can learn something from every other Isadora user regardless of how experienced either of them are. Every single time I've taught Isadora to anybody, (from absolute beginners who've never touched it to veteran users who've been at it for years), they've always asked a question about doing something a way that I've never thought of, come up with an idea that I never would have, shown me something I never knew about the program, or we've made something together that never would have come to be without their input. I've even specifically sought out people who are completely new to the software to add to the beta group because they can offer a fresh perspective on every aspect of the program that every single experienced user (including myself, Mark, and the rest of the staff) is incapable of providing.

Everyone's input is invaluable when it comes to collaboration, learning, and especially art!

[bonemap]

@tomthebom said:

I am definitely on

 Hi Tom,

@Juriaan 

@Woland 

I am going to set up an online date claiming tool so we can settle on the best time for each of us. To do that it would be helpful to know what timezones we are in.
I am thinking of a Tuesday and Thursday session, but am also open to discussion about days and time. 

Following is a draft project scope for discussion:

Art Machine Symposium 

Isadora Community sharing event

Art machines whisper. Their utterances originate in mindful insights and sensory depravities, specialising in playful dynamics.

We are on international time taking a cue from the Earths rotation around the sun. That 24 hrs fits more or less into 360°, and one degree of rotation of Earth is equivalent to 4 minutes of existence on its surface.

Engage in episodic collaboration. Devise a presentation for screen media that will exist within 1° - 5° degrees. Think of a transformative conversation presented within a 4 - 20 minute block. 

Our mediatised communications are performative; they are rich in audition and visual languages. Our expressions of art and identity expand realities of time and space, in moments that are now, not now and places that are no place. We exist as ghosts in the machine as something entirely other, at the same time completely human.

Welcome to the Art Machine streaming collaboration symposium 100% virtual and live screencast. Linking artists through a global north-south event becoming one expression of peacefulness, playfulness, placefulness.

The Isadora virtual community extends an invitation for you to represent your creativity, concepts and ideas in an episode that will cut through worldly geographies. We are the wild and bleeding edge of artistic practice that can use technology to thrive as a community of practice.

4 minutes to 20 minutes bookable time slots

screen an animation
present an idea or concept
demonstrate a technique in any medium
conduct an interview
screencast a performance
read a poem
narrate an experience
play some music
have a discussion
generate realtime media objects

Tuesday and Thursday international time 1 - 3 hours duration

--

Your thoughts?

Best Wishes

Russell

[tomthebom]

@woland said:

Do not ever say or think this. It is my firm belief that every Isadora user can learn something from every other Isadora user regardless of how experienced either of them are. Every single time I've taught Isadora to anybody, (from absolute beginners who've never touched it to veteran users who've been at it for years), they've always asked a question about doing something a way that I've never thought of, come up with an idea that I never would have, shown me something I never knew about the program, or we've made something together that never would have come to be without their input. I've even specifically sought out people who are completely new to the software to add to the beta group becaHi WolanHuse they can offer a fresh perspective on every aspect of the program that every single experienced user (including myself, Mark, and the rest of the staff) is incapable of providing.Everyone's input is invaluable when it comes to collaboration, learning, and especially art!

 Hi Woland, thanks for these words. That is the true spirit! I am training Aikido twice a week (before Corona), which is build on exactly that mindset. ;o)

[Woland]

@bonemap said:

I am thinking of a Tuesday and Thursday session, but am also open to discussion about days and time. 

 That works for me! I don't think I'll have anything ready or thought out until Thursday though.