Performance in Telemaric Spaces Nov 2004

Telematic Performance at Warwick

Mark Childs, Centre for Academic Practice,

University of Warwick

Labels

• Virtual performance

• Virtual theatre

• Telematic performance

• Telepresent performance

• Distributed performance

Definitions

the phrase "telematic performance work" refers to the use of a telecommunication network to establish links between two remote spaces at the same time and to present the activities in those two separate spaces variously as a single performance event.

… these activities … make use of the Web as a third performance "space". – Cellbytes http://isa.hc.asu.edu/cellbytes/scott/

Definitions

"telematics" means more than simply videoconferencing, it implies a different awareness of your body and a different engagement with the visual/kinetic information received from the other end (or ends) - Susan Kozel

Virtual Performance

Draws on experiences of technology (specifically virtual reality)

• explores notions of "self", "location" "body/identity"

Exploits advantages of technology

• accessible, mutable, recordable, transferable, innovative, fun

The Telematic Performance

• Susan Kozel, Practitioner based in Vancouver

• First year students at Warwick

• Performance and Practice module

Performance space

• Physical performance space

• Virtual performance space

PCMonitorwebcamera

Hub

P

P

P

uplink

PCMonitorwebcamera

P

P

LaptopData projectorVideo cameraVideo bus

multipoint

P

P P P

screen

Audiences

• Performers can see each other on their computers

• People sit in studio and watch via projection

Activities in workshop

Discussions of concepts Online chat

Structured improvisations– Creating a virtual face and body Follow the leader

Rehearsed performance pieces

Structured improvisations

Rehearsed performance piece

Physical Performance workshop

Videoconferenced physical performance• Took place Friday, 8th March, 2002

• Canterbury and Exeter

• Eastern physical performance

• Performers in one half of studio

• Wall-length screen hung in centre

• Other half of group projected on screen

Why did it fail as a workshop?

• delays in setting up

• low frame rates

• image freezing and speeding up

• time lags

Why did it fail as a workshop?

• Inappropriateness of subject matter

• Selection of activities

• difficulties with communication

• difficulties with performance space

• sightlines

• inappropriate expectations

Solutions

• Include students and staff more in the explorative aspect of the project

• Use the link to demonstrate work rather than work across the link

• Make technology part of what is being explored

Telematic Performance at DMU

DMU performance examples

• Mirroring exercise

• Face

• Global village people

• Timelag demonstration

Differences with Warwick

• Students based at home for 2nd and 4th session

• Dial-up modems created additional difficulties

• Performance and connection from own space created different ‘feel’

Problems with virtual performance

• Immersive?

• Engaging?

• Reliable?

• Lacking corporeality?

• Therefore pointless?

Final Thoughts (1)

The idea of the body displaced in time and space though “performing” in a present, virtual space is not enough (in my opinion) to support the rhetoric and hyperbole that drives much of the web-based activity we are speaking of.

- Johannes Birringer “Connected Dance”

(2) But ...

In response to ADaPT - a performance across six sites involving:

• “live decorporealistions”

• tearing up paper in front of a camera

• multiple images of someone swivelling in a chair

(3) Questions

• Is this a new area for performance work or a few techies getting over-excited by technology?

• Is it a springboard for creativity, or a mask for lack of creativity?

• Is it missing the entire point of theatre, or rediscovering it?

3D Visualisation Group

• Chromakey work

• Motion capture

• Virtual reality models

• Stereoscopic projection

m.childs@warwick.ac.uk

http://www.warwick.ac.uk/ETS/annie

http://www.warwick.ac.uk/3d/