Ian Garrett

New Perspectives on Ecological Performance Making, London

This one-day symposium will bring together researchers, practitioners and students for a discursive investigation of performance approaches that explore the human relationship with the natural world. The recent Readings in Performance and Ecology (2012) and Performing Nature (2007) acknowledge that ‘conventional theatre’ may not be as well positioned to intersect with ecology as other forms of performance. Other paradigms such as eco-activism, bicycle performances, outdoor audio-walks, landscape performances, allotment performances, live art and site-based participatory performance offer unique opportunities for audiences to intimately engage with the living world and interact directly with the material environment. Recent examples of practice include Simon Whitehead’s work, Townley and Bradby’s The Bowthrope Experiment, Earthrise Repair Shop, Platform’s Oil City, the work of Fevered Sleep and FanSHEN’s Green and Pleasant Land. This symposium will assemble key people in the field of Performance and Ecology to explore how new paradigms can be developed from a number of different perspectives and expertise on the subject.

Hosted by the Theatre Applied Research Centre, confirmed participants include Wallace Heim, FanSHEN, Julie’s Bicycle, Sally Mackey, Ian Garrett, Harry Giles, Stephen Bottoms, Dee Heddon, Carl Lavery, Dead Good Guides, Peter Coates, Silvia Battista, Eve Katsouraki, Gareth Somers, Sarah Hopfinger, and Baz Kershaw.

Lunch will be provided along with tea and coffee.

Book Now: New Perspectives on Ecological Performance Making Tickets, London – Eventbrite.

Prix Coal 2014: PARIS

Prix_Coal_2014_appelThe COAL Art & Environment Prize reveals the wealth of answers brought by artists to current environmental issues. Since 2010, the COAL Prize has honored  ten projects related to environmental issues each year, which are selected through a call for international projects and in which hundreds of artists from around the world participate. One artist is awarded the Prix COAL worth € 10,000 by a jury of personalities from the art and ecology. In 2013 COAL price on the theme  Adaptation , was presented to Lawrence Tixador for its “transitional architecture.”

In 2014, the theme of the COAL Prize is PARIS . Environmental and societal issues of the French capital are numerous: pollution, energy, sprawl, transportation, land use, biodiversity loss, climate change adaptation, etc.. A creative approach to ecology emerges in new social organizations, alternative modes of productions, collaborative ways of living and working that promote usability as well as the happy sobriety. Having long has Paris been the city of light, the symbol of industrial modernity and progress… will she once again shine in the post embodying ecological modernity?

Paris, one of the world capitals of culture and creation, invites artists in 2014 to demonstrate the central role that art can play in a sustainable and responsible city. Artists, predominantly urban, heirs of the diversity embodied in Paris are invited to shake, rethink, reinvent the capital, in a multipolar world and connected to define a fairer and radiant urban culture in harmony with nature.

The COAL Price 2014 will be presented in Paris on 13 February 2014, at a ceremony attended by the ten selected artists and personalities of art and sustainable development.

Established in 2010 by the COAL association, Coalition for art and sustainable development, COAL Price Art and Environment, is under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy and the National Center for Visual Arts.

Download the call for projects pdf

Schedule

The closing date of the call for projects is January 5, 2014 at midnight .
COAL The award will be presented February 13, 2014.

The selection committee and the jury will be announced shortly.

See the jury of the previous edition

Selection of projects

The criteria for selection of projects take into account the artistic value, relevance (understanding of the issues), originality (ability to suggest approaches, thematic or angles of original view), pedagogy (the ability to convey a message , awareness), social and participative approach (engagement, testimony, efficiency, societal dynamics), eco-design and feasibility.

The COAL Price supports artistic projects in progress or planned. Its endowment of € 10,000 does not necessarily intended to cover all production costs of the project and should be considered as an aid to development.

Beyond the presentation of COAL Prize, the call for proposals is also an opportunity to promote artists involved and witness the creative potential of art on the theme of the environment.

Coal wants to promote the networking of these artists with scientists and stakeholders, produces, develops and promotes projects identified by the call for proposals in the context of exhibitions, events and commands. Projects may be a broadcast on resource 0, national arts and ecologies platform, with the consent of the artists.

Application

The application shall consist of the following documents together in a single pdf file ( The application should not exceed 20 pages):

-A summary description of the proposed and illustrated with his artistic dimension and put into perspective with the environmental issue and the annual theme project
– Two high-definition visuals illustrating the project
-A note on the technical characteristics of the project, particularly in terms of infrastructure and means of production
, a budget estimate;
-A Curriculum Vitae and an artistic record.

Submission of applications

All proposals must be submitted on the server COAL before 5 January 2014.

> Put your online folder on the server COAL

Special Conditions

By participating in this call, the authors projects expressly authorize the COAL association publish, reproduce and publicly distribute all or part of the elements of their project for all purposes related to the promotion and communication of project COAL in all media by all media, in all countries and for HOW LONG LEGAL COPYRIGHT. Projects submitted and not selected will remain in the archives of the COAL association. However, they remain the property of their authors. Participation in this call for projects resulting full acceptance of the above conditions.

Contact

For any request please write to:  contact (at) projetcoal.fr

Jean-Claude Carrière Theater at the domaine d’O

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The Jean-Claude Carrière theatre is a unique «environmentally friendly» project, based on a global environmental approach aiming for general energy efficiency and for environmental quality standards.

Other than the slab that supports it, the entire structure could be dismantled and rebuilt on a different site. Just like the similar project at the Comédie Française (the «théâtre éphémère»), the structure is entirely built out of wood panels (KLH). The unique design is enhanced by a light wooden lozenge structure recovering the entire building.

MGB_3838 copieThe renowned Montpellier architect firm A+ architecture has been entrusted with this project, which from the very beginning has been designed taking the natural environment of the location into account : a construction which can be entirely dismantled, the use of wood, a light architectural expression, respecting the surrounding wooded zone. The building is entirely built of recyclable material, using for instance PECF labelled wood, providing an outstanding carbon footprint for this project.

The theatre is more than remarkable in terms of energy efficiency, including the innovative heating system, an excellent insulation system and the exclusive use of LED for the lightning systems. The acoustic insulation system has been optimised in order to avoid neighbourhood sound pollution and to create perfect interior acoustic settings for the stage. Retractable seating solutions, a modular stage frame, a construction that can entirely be dismantled, optimised technical  zones, a bright and welcoming hallway…

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picture credits, following pictures : Jean-Yves GILBERT

 

Are They Edible? (entertainment you can taste)

Odysseus

CONTRIBUTE HERE

ARE THEY EDIBLE? has been selected to be presented by La MaMa Theatre Puppet Series – a bi-annual puppet series presented by the reputable La MaMa Theatre.  It will preimere from November 7-10, 2013 at The Club.

Are They Edible? is a multi-sensory puppetry performance inspired by Homer’s epics: the Iliad and the Odyssey. It takes place in an interactive setting in which food consumption is used as a way to engage the audience in a tactile discourse on the relationship between war, heroes, and hunger (or the urge to consume).

Initiated by war then cursed by pride, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are tales of war, of the construction and destruction of heroes, of how hunger and thirst for violence are never satisfied, and of wearied soldiers’ journey – and ultimately one soldier’s journey home. While our memory mostly lingers around the heroic acts associated with these tales, I want to emphasize the image of only ONE soldier, Odysseus, succeeding in returning home and his son Telemachus, meanwhile, growing up to join him in slaughtering the suitors. Through this act, Telemachus becomes the next hero preparing for another Trojan War. This parallels how we encourage and celebrate the sacrifices from our generations of military service.

During the performance, audiences will be served food along with red wine. In addition, they will be led literally on their feet to journey through different puppetry stations as a way to put them inside the experiences similar to Odysseus’ and a given birds’-eye view of the scope of atrocities with the eerie sense that this is all constructed for their enjoyment and available for their consumption or manipulation.

The tone the piece sets out to create is of uneasy playfulness, where at times the audience is able to taste, enjoy, and comment on the action with one another, and at other times will be lulled into private contemplation through immersive visual, aural, and sense-of-taste experiences.

We are working hard towards making this premiere a great success but need a little extra financial help to support all the wonderful artists who are involved in the project, many of whom I’ve been collaborating with for years. This project is blessed by their talent and commitment so please join me in supporting them by making a donation today.

Because this is an “all or nothing” type campaign, I am setting the goal at $6,000 to cover the costs of supplies and puppet creation as well as ARTISTS and every dollar that exceeds this goal will continue towards supporting the artists involved with my new performance.

Artists involved in this production include:

  • Torry Bend (Set and Puppet Designer – since 2011)
  • Burke Brown (Lighting Designer – since 2011) * Andrew Butler (Performer – since 2012)
  • Nikki Calonge (Performer – since 2011)
  • Elizabeth Eggert (Technical Direction)
  • Nicole Greene (Stage Manager – since 2011)
  • Phillip Gulley (Video Designer – since 2012)
  • Connie Hall (Culinary Designer – since 2011)
  • Karl Hinze (Composer)
  • Amy Jensen (Dramaturg – since 2011)
  • Tom Lee (Puppet Designer & Builder)
  • Maggie Robinson (Performer)
  • Rachel Schapira (Props and Puppet Designer – since 2012)
  • Margaret Schedel (Sound Designer) - Bobby McElver was the original designer but unfortunately his schedule won’t allow him to work on this.
  • Julia Sirna-Frest (Performer – since 2011)
  • Matthew Stephen Smith (Playwright)
  • Marisa Lark Wallin (Performer – since 2011)
  • Meghan Williams (Performer) and Puppet Designer – since 2011)

Julie’s Bicycle Releases New Sustainable Production Guide at Sold out Event

JBsustainingcreativity.102840Julie’s Bicycle on Tuesday launched its new Sustainable Production Guide at the first of their autumn events on Sustainable Design in the Arts to 50 arts professionals.

Speakers Donyale Werle, Tanja Beer and Sam Collins led the debate on the role designers and production managers can play in making arts practice more environmentally sustainable. Hosted by the Young Vic, the panel addressed an audience of London and UK based arts professionals from across theatre, opera, visual arts, dance and education.

After her success at World Stage Design 2013, Donyale Werle spoke about her experiences designing and constructing shows sustainably on Broadway, and the need to the normalise sustainable practices and work with current networks and suppliers to create change. Tanja Beer presented her research into eco-design principles and went on to explain her “Living Theatre” project as an example of how work can be designed to engage and enrich audiences, and leave a positive environmental and social legacy.

Sam Collins offered a different perspective, highlighting the potential for sustainably-designed artwork to create the context for honest and open discussions about waste and carbon emissions within the industry, particularly with regards to touring shows. He used the striking example of adding a GPS device to packing crates transporting Cape Farewell’s U-n-f-o-l-d exhibition to track their journey around the world. This was followed by a 50 minute discussion with the audience covering topics of new materials, the use of toxic treatments and contending with fire regulations, waste management, and the role of artistic vision in driving the cultural shift towards a more environmentally sustainable arts sector.

The event also included the launch of Julie’s Bicycle’s new Sustainable Production Guide. Available from today for free download the guide has been developed with a community of production professionals, and offers comprehensive guidance on how to make theatre more sustainable at every stage in the production process.

The guide is available for free download at:
www.juliesbicycle.com/resources/practical-guides/production

Arts Manager Sholeh Johnston said, “The Sustainable Production Guide is the result of a collective effort within the theatre industry to understand and improve the environmental sustainability of production. It showcases best practice developed to date, links to key resources, and provides practical actions for directors, production managers, set designers and builders, costume makers, cast, marketeers and others involved with making great art happen. The guide is both a distillation of Julie’s Bicycle’s research to date, and an invitation to join an exciting community of practitioners pioneering new ways of working in line with environmental, economic, and technological drivers. We want to keep the conversation going, and continue to shout about the fantastic work being developed.”

Download the Guide here: Sustainable-Production-Guide-Final-2013

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Database of Eco Public Art

Curating_Cities

The Curating Cities Database maps the increasingly important and emerging field of eco-sustainable public art. It is developed as a resource for researchers, academics, artists, curators, educators, commissioning agencies and sponsors working in the field as well as those interested in promoting sustainability via public art. In addition to descriptive information, the database evaluates the aims and outcomes of each project as well as the external constraints (and subsequent negotiations) that influence the production of public artworks. eco-publicart.org

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Jill Bennett, Felicity Fenner, Lindsay Kelly and Veronica Tello. Sustainability Consultant: Jodi Newcombe.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

T.J Demos (University College London); Ian Garrett (York University/Director, Center for Sustainable Practice); Natalie Jeremijenko (New York University/Director of Environmental Health Clinic); Sacha Kagan (Leuphana University Lüneburg/Founder of Cultura21, Network for Cultures of Sustainability and the International Summer School of Arts and Sciences for Sustainability in Social Transformation); Adrian Parr (University of Cincinnati).

We invite submissions from curators, researchers, academics and creative practitioners.

PURPOSE

Our intention is to develop a resource that will be of value to all those interested in public art, including specialists and the broader community. The database entries are concise but designed to go beyond the short profiles readily available on other sites. To that end, we have developed a template and guidelines designed to elicit key information regarding the sustainability (as conceived within the particular project), legacy, engagement and circumstances of an artwork’s production. Recognising that public art is not always well served by bureaucracies, entries may also record useful information on external constraints and how these were negotiated.

SCOPE

We are looking to achieve expansive coverage and are open to suggestions for inclusion (geographic remit is global). Generally, we interpret public art as a creative art form produced for non-gallery contexts (exceptionally, it may include gallery exhibitions with an explicit external engagement focus). We define “eco-sustainability” to signify an evident interest in ecological, sustainable and/or environmental concerns. It is not our intent to ‘police’ the definition of eco-sustainable public art: we are keen to include work that challenges definitions and expectations. As a general indication, we are interested in substantial work that actively engages with its environmental context (rather than in work that merely represents or symbolises an environmental concern).

SUBMISSION and REVIEW PROCESS

Submissions are peer-reviewed. Each submission should focus on a particular public art project, which must be proposed to the Editorial Committee in advance. Contributors are welcome to profile their own work, either by evaluating their own project or by referencing a larger study or thesis written by them on the same subject. We also invite academics that research and teach in this area to encourage student submissions. We are happy for the template to be used for course assessment exercises and can confer with lecturers regarding the process by which a batch of entries from a class can be peer reviewed/considered for inclusion in the database.

For the template and sustainable evaluation framework and to discuss a potential submission please email v.tello@unsw.edu.au

“Sonic Bloom” a new Interactive artwork showcases solar, sound and education at the foot of the Space Needle

In the playful context of Seattle Center’s festival grounds, Sonic Bloom is a new energy-neutral permanent interactive art installation at the foot of Seattle’s Space Needle and a defining entry sculpture to the Pacific Science Center. The signature sculpture is designed to demonstrate the science of solar energy in an accessible way as well as becoming a new icon for Seattle Center.

“Sonic Bloom” is a solar-powered work of art created by Dan Corson for the Pacific Science Center on behalf of Seattle City Light’s Green Up program, which supports the development of new renewable energy sources.

The project is composed of 5 super-sized flowers (up to 40’ tall and 20’ across) sporting frosted acrylic petals that glow like glass when backlit.  Mounted on the top of each painted flower head are 46 locally made photo voltaic cells. These solar cells collect the energy from the sun and are fed back into the electrical grid and completely offset the energy-efficient LED lighting and speaker electrical consumption for the project.

“There’s a myth that solar power won’t work in Seattle” said artist Dan Corson. “But even with our often cloudy weather, solar works well here”. The challenge was going beyond simple rooftop installations and engaging people with solar

After dark, the sculptures make a dramatic illuminated presence, revealing the domed undersides of the flowers as dynamic illuminated surfaces awash in moving color and concentric echo-inspired patterns. The backlit painted fiberglass diffuses the energy-efficient LED lights and creates an interesting patterned surface in the daytime.

The title Sonic Bloom refers not only to our defining location “on the Puget Sound” but also to the artwork itself that sings as the public approaches each flower.  Every flower has its own distinctive series of harmonic notes simulating a singing chorus. A hidden sensor located in each flower identifies movement and triggers the sound.  So if there are 5 people engaging the flowers together, it is possible to compose and conduct music together or by walking through, randomly set off a harmonic sequence.

The colorful striped stalks of the flowers not only accentuate the curved stems, but are also actual “barcodes” that can be deciphered by inquisitive sleuths motivated to decode the super-sized puzzle.

Seattle, with its mild maritime climate, hosts some of the most enthusiastic gardeners in the country. The artist is not only a self-described “plant geek” and has created an award-winning garden featured in a number of magazines, but has also created the garden concept for the planting beds below the sculptures as well.  The Sonic Bloom garden is designed for a year-round viewing highlighting certain flowers and color combinations that echo the sculptures every season.

Interpretive signage at the exhibition and inside Pacific Science Center explains how solar energy works and shows in real-time how it is powering the flowers.

Living Data: Art from climate science at the Muse

Image: ‘When I Was Buoyant’, Josh Wodak

Image: ‘When I Was Buoyant’, Josh Wodak

A dramatic art exhibition inspired by climate science.

See through icy veils of mesh as art and data come together to create past, present and future forms of life. Wonder at physical and virtual models of life forms as they evolve. Discover your genetic ancestors in the algae that photosynthesise light to make the energy that sustains us.

Immerse yourself in an exhibition that challenges your senses with artworks that combine scientific and sensory knowledge of climate change.

Curated by Dr Lisa Roberts, Living Data program leader and Visiting Fellow at the University of Technology,Sydney, you’ll have a chance to take part in ground-breaking art and science talks, see dramatic climate-inspired dance and hear primal music.

Dr Roberts is a multimedia visual artist whose work combines scientific and sensory knowledge of climate change. Her formal studies include dance, visual arts, animation, Indigenous perspectives and Antarctic perceptions. Lisa Roberts is the great grand daughter of the prominent Australian painter Tom Roberts.

Living Data program for the 2013 Ultimo Science Festival, Sydney, September 12-21.

What do we know about climate change and how are we responding to it?

There’s a lot of talk about the need for collaboration between cultures, disciplines and institutions, to develop a sustainable future, but not a lot of time to build trust to share the data, stories, hypotheses and images to inspire and enable action for change. For the 2013 Ultimo Science Festival, scientists, artists and designers come to Sydney from as far away as Antarctica to contribute what they know about climate change and how they are responding to it.

Contributors: Kirralee Baker, Jennifer Clark, Martina Doblin, Christina Evans, Paul Flecther, William Gladstone, Peter Jones, Rose McGreevy, Madison Haywood, So Kawaguchi, Eveline Kolijn, Anthony Larkum, Carina Lee, Andrea Leigh, Brad Miller, Caterina Mocciola, Steve Nicol, Simon Pockley, Antonia Posada, Vikki Quill, Daniel Ramp, Lisa Roberts, Juanita Sherwood, Melissa Smith, Paul Sutton, Takuya Suzuki, Leanne Thompson, Dean Walsh, Shona Wilson, Josh Wodak, Malou Zuidema

EXHIBITIONS

Living Data: Art from climate science The Muse, Ultimo TAFE, Harris Street Ultimo (opposite ABC Studios)
Sex in the sea Living Data Atrium level 3, Building 4 (Science), University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)

9-5pm Monday-Sunday, 12-21 September 2013

Curator: Lisa Roberts,Artist, Living Data program leader, Visiting Fellow, Science, Design, Arts & Social Sciences (UTS)
Shadow curator: Paul Sutton, Photographer, Associate lecturer in Design (UTS)
Exhibition designer: John Cabello, Designer, Lecturer in Design (UTS)

EVENTS

Food: Relationships with things we eat

At The Muse 12-21 September 2013 - Opening, Thursday 12 Sept. 4-6 pm

  • Professor William GladstoneHead, School of the Environment, Science (UTS) leads a Discussion with:
  • Professor Juanita Sherwood Indigenous Australian scholar from the Transforming Cultures Research Centre, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (UTS)
  • Dr Steve NicolAdjunct Professor at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and an Honorary Fellow at the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania
  • Dr So KawaguchiPrincipal Research Scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) and Manager of the AAD Krill Research Program.
  • Dr Daniel Ramp,Senior Lecturer, School of the Environment, Science (UTS) and Co-founder of THINKK – the think tank for kangaroos, an academic forum that fosters greater understanding among Australians of kangaroos

How we know things: Understanding through art and science

Forum, Sunday 15th Sept. 2-3pm

Presentations and Discussions

 

Data for action: How we act on what we count, weigh and measure

Forum, Wed 18th. Sept. 6-7pm

  • Dr Simon Pockley, Designer, Activist and former Business Analyst for the Australian National Data Service (ANDS)
  • Dr. Martina Doblin, Senior Research Fellow and Kirralee Baker, PhD candidate, both C3 (UTS)
  • Brad Miller,Researcher and Design Senior Lecturer at the The College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
  • Dr Josh Wodak,Artist, Researcher, Creative Director 350.org Australia

THE OIL SHIP BY CONRAD ATKINSON

img_0748Signed artist’s print by Conrad Atkinson; buy yours now and support Liberate Tate

Artist Conrad Atkinson has produced a limited edition print to support the activities of Liberate Tate. The new A1 sized work For BP  is now available to buy in a limited edition of 75. All the funds raised from the sale of this print will support the work of Liberate Tate. As a group concerned with issues around ethical funding choices, it is important that we raise our own funds responsibly. Liberate Tate members are dedicated to continuing our voluntary work to free art from oil, and all funds raised from the sale of these prints will go directly to support the material costs of our performances.

Title of work: The Oil Ship | Date: 2013|Dimensions: 59 x 84cm | Edition: 75

Conrad Atkinson has 10 works held in Tate’s collection. A well known trouble-maker and political artist, he even has two works held on display atDowning Street. His work often troubles power and makes explicit corporate and government hypocrisy. Conrad previously contributed to our publication ‘Not if but when: Culture Beyond Oil’.  Check out his stunning new work The Oil Ship which presents a new twist on the Tate-BP deal.

 Please support our work, and bag yourself a beauty of an artwork at the same time! And please share this page with friends and networks to get a copy of this limited edition print.

INFORMATION ON HOW TO PURCHASE HERE

Please share this page and tweet @LiberateTate to link up with us on Twitter, and ‘Like’ ‘End oil sponsorship of the arts’ on Facebook.

People, Profit, Planet – Sustainability Programme at WSD2013

Kampa-Dance640-x-266

Exploring Sustainability in Creative Practice

Theatre is a process of reinvention, making and remaking. How do we consider the resources that go into bringing something to the stage? What is our responsibility to materials and energy? How do we create efficient spaces that house performance? How do we talk about this, both as artists and in our art? These questions are the focus for the Sustainability Programme at World Stage Design 2013. Join designers, architects, researchers and others who are focused on the intersection of sustainability and performance as we explore the future of our field as it relates to one of most vital issues of today.

You can view the full programme and book online for some events here.  More events will be added throughout the summer, so keep checking the website.

The People, Profit, Planet programme is supported by the Waterloo Foundation.

Who should attend?

These workshops and presentations are for anyone interested in considering the issues of sustainability within their work. Curious about how reused and eco-materials impact design and construction? Or the future of new energy efficient lighting technology? Intrigued by new work that explores issues of social justice and the environment? Interested in tools and best practices to monitor the carbon footprint of your facility or productions? Perplexed by how these tie together? Join us for a cross section of programming that highlights performances, place and interconnectedness in the wider world.

Sustainability Offerings at WSD2103


Thurs, Sept 5


Fri, Sept 6


Sun, Sept 8


Mon, Sept 9


Tues, Sept 10


Wed, Sept 11


Thurs, Sept 12


Fri, Sept 13


Sat, Sept 14


People, Profit, Planet – group leader
Ian Garrett - Assistant Professor, York University, Canada