Paradigm

Investigating the Aesthetics of Ecological Design and Eco-scenography with Dr Wallace Heim and Tanja Beer at WSD2013

August 26, 2013CSPA Convergence, WSDAesthetics, Audience, beer, Boundaries, Dr Beer, Ecological Design, Ecological Principles, Environment, Existing Design, Focus, Holistic Approach, Incorporate, Material Effects, New Ways, Paradigm, Philosophical Perspective, presentation, Scenography, Sensibilities, Stage Design, Sustainable Design, Tanja, Willow

Thurs 12 Sept 16.30 – 18.00

The Willow Theatre

What are the aesthetics of sustainable design? New ways are needed of appreciating ecologically valid design that can incorporate the artistic dimensions with the material effects. This presentation will explore the application of ecological design in the Performing Arts as it creates new sensibilities, new dramaturgies and new forms of experience throughout a range of theatre productions. These aesthetics expand on existing design critiques and offer ways to consider the relations between the content of what is performed to the ecological and artistic dimensions of stage design. Starting with a philosophical perspective, this session will talk through examples with focus on the emerging paradigm of â€˜eco-scenographyâ€™ â€“ a movement that seeks to integrate ecological principles into all stages of scenographic thinking and production. Taking a holistic approach to materials and resources, this approach asks â€œcan we create designs that enrich our environment and community, as well as our audience?â€

The presentation includes a live and interactive showing of Tanja Beerâ€™s â€œSTRUNGâ€, an eco-scenographic investigation that merges the boundaries between performer and designer, installation and costume, site and material.

Open to all.

Price: Â£6

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Key contributors

Dr Wallace Heim -Â http://www.wallaceheim.com

Tanja Beer -Â http://www.tanjabeer.com/

An Ecology of Ideas Conference â€“ July 9-13, 2012 (USA)

May 8, 2012Conferences, Cultura21Acceptable Manner, Asc, Berlin Germany, Conversations, Copenhagen Denmark, Cozzolino, Cybernetics, Ecology, Evening Performances, Francesca, Gregory Bateson, Kagan, Kajsa, Keynote Speakers, Koefoed, Members, Mexico City, New Organization, Oleg, Organizing, Paradigm, Paradigms, Paradox, Paris France, Perspectives, Plenary Presentations, Praxis, Rana, Reference And Reflexivity, Resonance, Sacha, Self Reference, Vitality, Weather, Works Of Art

This post comes to you from Cultura21

The American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) and the Bateson Idea Group (BIG),Â a new organization exploring Gregory Batesonâ€™s â€œpattern that connects,â€ have joinedÂ to hold a conference on the relations among ideas as seen from multiple perspectives.Â In organizing this conference they seek to find a balance between the spontaneous and theÂ planned. They intend to seed conversations with various forms of presentation, ranging fromÂ keynote speakers to workshops and performances; all of which can be considered works ofÂ art in the domain of ideas. They will provide many spaces for conversation and innovation.

The three themes of this conference are:

Paradigm

What do our current paradigms determine or enable, and what would changes to these imply? How could we guess what other things would change along with the changes we desire? How would we implement a shift in an ethical and socially acceptable manner?

Recursion

Recursion (like its fellow concepts, self-reference and reflexivity) is open to many interpretations depending on who you are, and the context you are in. We are interested in both what is held in common between these different interpretations, and what is particular to each. We wish to explore not only the implications of acting based on how we understand these ideas, but also what happens when we proceed unaware of the differences.

Praxis

Why are praxis and theory often separated; and how can they better be brought together? In what ways are the ideas of cybernetics and systems inherently concerned with practice? Does the phrase â€œthe paradox of praxisâ€ evoke a resonance?

Program

The program will offer a compelling network of ideas to inspire participants in creating their own ideas, insights and thoughts. There will be a mix of meeting types: plenary presentations, workshops, conversations, and evening performances taking place in the wonderful spaces (and, weather permitting, grounds) of the Asilomar Conference Facility.

The following invited speakers will be making plenary presentations:
Graham Barnes
Eric Bateson
Nora Bateson
Fritjof Capra
Humberto Maturana
Ximena DÃ¡vila
Terrence Deacon
Debora Hammond
Klaus Krippendorff
Rex Weyler
Carol Wilder

Nora Bateson will show her award-winning film, An Ecology of Mind, about her fatherâ€™s lifeâ€™s work. Other performances will include film, multimedia, theatre, and music. The workshops for this conference will be designed as participatory experiences that in some manner generate or demonstrate ideas and concepts. They will have theme based conversations and also provide many convivial spaces for spontaneous conversations. A full program will be published on the organizers website by early May.

Venue

Asilomar is a National Historic Landmark is located on 107 acres of beautiful and ecologically diverse beachfront land. Asilomar offers a unique and desirable conference experience in its natural setting, its conference facilities, and its suitability for conversational spaces. http://www.visitasilomar.com/
Conference participants must book with the Asilomar site for accommodation and meals.

Important Dates

Apr-30 Proposals for Abstracts (papers and workshops) due
Apr-30 Early Bird Registration closes
May-10 Referees respond to proposals
May-20 Any Revisions to Abstracts due
May-30 Abstracts published online
May-30 Program details published online
July-09 Conference starts

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21â€²s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in LÃ¼neburg, Germany) and Rana Ã–ztÃ¼rk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

Local and Regional Governments towards RIO+20

April 21, 2011Cultura21Agenda 21, Berlin Germany, Best Evidence, Copenhagen Denmark, Cozzolino, Francesca, International Governance, Kagan, Kajsa, Koefoed, Local Governments, Mexico City, Oleg, Paradigm, Paris France, Pillar, Rana, Regional Governments, Rio Summit, Sacha, Sustainable Development, Tackling Climate Change, Uclg, Vitality

This post comes to you from Cultura21

A briefing on preparations for the Rio +20 Summit is available from the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), focusing on culture as key element of sustainability: â€œWe believe that the paradigm of sustainable development needs a cultural pillar, and its implementation deserves cultural content. The Agenda 21 for culture (2004), the Policy Statement of Mexico on â€œCulture: the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Developmentâ€ (2010) and the local actions undertaken by our members and partners are the best evidence of progress.

UCLG is preparing its strategy for the Rio+20 Summit. The key messages put forward by UCLG are:

Making Culture as fourth pillar of sustainable development
Tackling climate change
Contributing to international governance in sustainable development field
Making cities resilientâ€

To read the briefing (PDF file): Click here

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21â€²s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in LÃ¼neburg, Germany) and Rana Ã–ztÃ¼rk (based in Berlin, Germany)

– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)

– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)

– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

ashdenizen: from no plays about climate change to three in a month

January 20, 2011Ashden Directory, newsActivists, Andrew Bovell, Avoidance, Bbc, Chai, Choreographer, Climate Change, Comedian, Film Makers, Heretic, Ipcc Reports, Marcus Brigstocke, Mike Hulme, Open University, Origin Of Species, Paradigm, Podcasts, Radio 4, T Touch, Tricycle, Wallace Shawn

It was only a couple of years ago that this blog was writing aboutÂ why theatres don’t touch climate change. It seemed, at the time, as if there was something about theatre, or the way people conceived of mainstream theatre, that made the subject almost impossible to treat. This was part of a more general avoidance of the environment as a subject for the performing arts. TheÂ Ashden Directory had been launched, back in 2000, as a way of following and encouraging those works which did engage with this subject.

But now things are changing. Eighteen months ago there wasÂ finally, a good play about climate change. Â It was also possible to see in the works, for instance, of Wallace Shawn and Andrew BovellÂ the green shoots of climate change theatre.

Fast forward to January 2011, and this month alone three climate change plays will open in London -Â Greenland at the National,Â The Heretic at the Royal Court, andÂ Water at the Tricycle.

Why is this important? Because climate change alters the way we think about our lives. The news contained within the various IPCC reports will beÂ as influential, as paradigm-shifting, on the way we see ourselves as Darwin’sÂ Origin of Species. It is, ultimately, a question of values and relationships. As such, it is a natural subject for theatre.

But new plays don’t open in a vacuum. For them to succeed, there needs to be a lively engaged audience that has some sense of what is at stake. That’s why we have also been involved with the Open University in producingÂ a new series of podcasts that puts cultural work around climate change in perspective.

The podcasts bring together 17 artists, activists, writers, film-makers, scientists, entrepreneurs and academics, including comedian Marcus Brigstocke, choreographer Siobhan Davies, BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin, architect Carolyn Steele and Mike Hulme, author ofWhy We Disagree About Climate Change.

Radio 4’s Quentin Cooper chairs these four ‘Mediating Change’ discussions which cover the history, publics, anatomy and futures of cultural responses to climate change.Â The podcasts areÂ now available to download from iTunesU.

via ashdenizen: from no plays about climate change to three in a month.