Edinburgh Fringe - Gather for iMelania

Gather… Melania is the next show in town. This was signposted for me by Imitating The Dog who as a theatre company Explore the boundaries between theatre and technology. A recommendation from these guys certainly got my attention.

 

I, Melania is part of @Summerhallery festival and totally brilliant from @paulavarjack & @ChuckBlueLowry https://t.co/tM3uBLnncT

— imitating the dog (@ImitatingtheDog) August 21, 2021

An 8.5 hr Zoom call. #WriggleSymp21

Wriggle Dance Symposium 

I love supporting projects. I love supporting produced events requiring digital support and audience access.
Latest project Wriggle Dance Theatre’s Early Year’s and Families Symposium took place today.

Lights Camera Action ... mic / mute

It’s all in the planning and prep.
The Symposium took place in one Zoom Meeting. It used Polls and Breakout Rooms, it pinned and spotlighted, its shared audio, QuickTime video, keynote and PDF preview. A Whereby video room as a helpdesk was open throughout running in parallel. Closed Caption and live transcription was available too.
Alongside this an online feedback board was created using Padlet. Attendees were invited to leave feedback and share insights in real time.

All digital presentations, performance, workshops and the attending audience but it’s time to explore the hybrid of Digital and Physical. The paperwork won’t change the delivery will be more complex.

Today marked the premiere showing of Wriggle Dance’s film version of their stage production of Squidge. In conversation panel showcased CO directors Lucy Knight and Kath Kimber McTiffen legacy and guest panels presented rich practices hi lighting the power of movement, dance and touch for early years children.

 
The pandemics indelible stamp extending work from the sector in to digital featured also. 
To conclude the day Coventry Dance facilitated a speed networking opportunity. Ending the day in conversation. Finishing the day with a blog post.

Sound Me a Story... and Zoom

Digital Stagemanagement duties were front and centre today. Show timings, title slides, spotlights, sound checks, original sound, practice sessions, webinar attendance and panelist’s and... a live venue with a remote audience. 

Most of what I do is make sure things happen as smoothly as possible and with little complication. 

In Zoom webinar it’s most important that I know what each participant sees be they a guest on screen or a member of the audience. Optimising the best view is not always easy. I need to see what the majority sees. In webinar that is straight forward. In Meeting it’s a little harder as attendees can toggle between speaker and gallery. Spotlight is your friend. Follow Hosts View and Hide Non Participants make uniform viewing a little easier.

Enlightenment in the Midlands

Finding stuff to go to when there is so much noise it can be hard to attend anything. It’s probably just me. I find the world generally too noisy. I do do enjoy discussions and extending my understanding of the general noisy world!

During COVID I’ve worked quite a bit on a variety of event based projects. Last Autumn it was the Arkwright Society’s annual Industrial Revolution conference. I’m working with the heritage and visitor team at Cromford Mills the site of Arkwright Mill which is part of the Derwent Valley UNESCO World Heritage site. The event talks are taking place monthly. Now they have taken part during a Zoom event organised for them they have taken the reins to host. I am now providing advise and moral support. Tomorrow I get to be audience.

I’ve got a reproduction of the Derby Gallery in Second Life. I guess that should be a blog post of its own. Joseph Wright’s painting of light has always been the draw for me to paintings such as The Orrery and The Experiment. 

Grab your ticket. Find me in the Participants and say Hi.

EVENING TALK: JOSEPH WRIGHT AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE MIDLANDS
Ticket link - https://www.wegottickets.com/event/511689
Thursday 25th March, 2021Door time: 6:45pm, Start time: 7:00pm
Held in Zoom Meeting

Auto Closed Captions available.

Here is the blurb...

Have you ever wondered what a painting can tell you about history?

Join Bob Moulder for a fascinating online talk and find out why the products of Joseph Wright’s “bold pencil” offered a window into so many aspects of the Enlightenment and the early Industrial Revolution, both in the Midlands and the wider world.

This overview of the career of Joseph Wright, who was acclaimed as "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution", will focus on a selection of his works, each of which introduces us to an aspect of the Enlightenment in Britain.

Wright’s extraordinary body of work will take us on a journey into the worlds of science, technology, industry, art, culture, society and philosophy in a way, arguably, no other artist has done before or since. Beyond this, the talk will reflect on what the artist known as ‘Joseph Wright of Derby’ means to the city today and what part he can play as it defines itself for the 21st century.

Bob Moulder is an illustrator, writer and graphic novelist as well as a tutor of art history with the WEA. His latest book, Wojtek: The Bear Who Went to War, is a graphic novel based on the true story of a bear adopted by Polish soldiers in WWII, who famously carried shells up to the guns at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Latest work on Wojtek the bear story pic.twitter.com/W3kUKP42jb

— Bob Moulder (@Bob_Moulder1) January 13, 2020

Since moving to Derby over twenty years ago, Bob has always been fascinated by the artist whose name is invariably followed by ‘of Derby’. As a fulfilment of that fascination, his latest project is an illustrated children’s book about Joseph Wright and the painting of The Orrery.

Mindfulness in March - Seeing Red.

Visual text overload. It’s a Dyslexia thing. There is only so much interpretation of squiggly lines forming letters combined to form words, strung into sentences I can process. On top of that their is the expected reciprocal text return.

I’m just searching for some mental equilibrium. 

I just want to listen or talk.I visited Clubhouse and Stereo. Nothing grabbed my attention. I considered firing up a conversation but on Stereo swiping through the available people I got shy and wasn’t sure how I’d start a conversation. 

Then I looked for an online piece of theatre but where to start and I don’t really have time for a full length show. What about a podcast? There is part of me that wants live right now. So after scrolling a few update feeds in Facebook and Linked in I remembered I forgot to watch my fellow Equity Online Branch committee member and sharer of my first name Caron Reidy’s YouTube monologue screening. I’m going to do that.

Here is the link. Caron’s monologue “Red” starts at 26”50’

https://youtu.be/UefaGAyl0vc

Recorded media is a fabulous technology. I’ve not seen Caron perform live on stage. I haven’t seen any TV episodes. Before COVID it would have just been showreels. This was a wonderful treat. And a genuinely good performance.

Performance for All - one point at a time. Lunchtime Livestream S4 | E1

The first guests of the series joined me today. UtopiaArts’ Frances Rifkin and Graham Lucas talked 

Fringe, Forum, Small-Scale, Independent Theatre was the focus. Finding a focus on which to discuss Equity’s Performance for All Policy has taken focus in itself.

It’s full of context. It’s extensively referenced. It’s a little booklet with mighty ambitions. It’s scope is incomprehensibly transformative.

One section resonated most as I dissected and reflected on my corner of the industry called Show Business. A section relevant to every other section.

Section 7 on page 20 of the Performance for All booklet - http://bit.ly/equity-fp19

Democratising Funding and Decision Making
All 10 sections of the policy are split in two parts. First a collection of data (stats, quotes and statements) and the second a series of policies Equity want to realise to... in the words of the current political climate... ‘Build Back Better’.

Policies ideals are cited “Autonomous, equitable and accountable funding and creative leadership.” The Performance for All policy asks for an expanded, fairly-balanced, socially responsive, democratic cultural provision with out reductions to funding in the capital. Its talks of rebalancing through an increased arts allocation.

It goes on to reinforce the independent sector... “often innovative and community oriented should be further developed and seen for what it is - An established and key part of cultural provision and source of employment.

The entire gamut from community to commercial. Inner London to the Outer Hebrides.
How that might be approached references a 2016 report

“Contributing to the national cultural policy debate”

http://www.gpsculture.co.uk/next-steps.php

https://www.whatnextculture.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GPS-Culture-Next-Steps-feb16.pdf

https://www.whatnextculture.co.uk/resource/gps-culture-the-next-steps/

Today’s livestream looked in brief at one element of the policy. It covers film, theatre, tv, Variety and games.

It was conceived before Covid in a pre pandemic digital resistance.

What is next?

Check out the livestream episode

Annotated...

Video Help Desk for your Digital Events

I have been on HelpDesk duty today.

With multiple-sessioned events like festivals, across multiple platforms for attendees, guests, speakers, performers and crew the thing that is painfully absent with digital and its zeros and ones is the corridors, the greenroom, the watercooler, the bar and the liminal spaces.

The space between the spaces.

QuiQuo do this well and event wrappers have potential to accommodate this but to date these wrappers have been outside my budget and production timescale. Digital Stagemanagement and the production consulting tend to be too late in the precession for me to augment in these options. 

A single help desk is the first step. It becomes an anchor point between physical and digital in-person encounters. It’s a point of real present. This I can do with Whereby. I have 10 rooms some are on loan to groups and some like this help desk for SparkFestival is a special hosting.

This was my toolset today

• Whereby - a super simple easy access for first time tech shy audiences. I settled on this platform prior to COVID when another app to download or service to sign up to was enough to stifle or demotivate any engagement.
• Splashtop xDisplay - connects a second device to enable monitoring while focusing on your main screen.
• iPad as a second screen with xDisplay - an old iPad 2 connects to extend your desktop. I use this on a stand on my desk for ficus timer and for general social media and news notifications. 

Finally I have 2 documents prepared specifically for this help desk. A festival reference with all the info including ticket links and zoom access links to each performance or workshop and a intro guide to Whereby as a help desk including a outline of the visitor experience.

1. Helpdesk document - Festival Programme (private document not available to share)
2. Helpdesk document - How To for team staffing - http://bit.ly/pcm-helpdesk-sparkfestival

This service is integral to my Extended The Audience offering when compiling extended audience packages. If you want to know more please get in touch.

I must also thank Alison Rouse who staffed the majority of the sessions enabling me to focus on the main digital auditorium as Zoom controller throughout the opening days of the festival.

Digital Stagemanager’s Zoom checklist

#SparkFestival

Audience checklist
Everything you want to know to get the most from the SparkFestival experience.

Festival Brochure - Everything to apply the audience checklist to!

Then there is my behind the scenes checklist to make my job smooth primarily for my own sanity but ultimately for a smooth audience experience.

My Digital Stage Management (when using Zoom)Barebones Check List

• Holding - title slide (proverbial house tabs!)
• Music - as the audience enter and settles
• Activate Otter captions/transcription - plug in service on Zoom for on screen auto generating subtitles
• Continuity announcement - Greetings, CC, get the best, SafeSpaces, looking after chat, Welcome.
• Co-Host - back-up connected host incase DigiSM interwebs break
• The half - 30 mins before opening the zoom space / admitting attendees from the waiting room to check all present and correct.
• Hiding Non Participants - with zoom meetings when audience cameras are off hiding the blank video windows tidys up the host view and recorded media captured.
• Waiting Room - before all is set it’s nice not having the audience wander in before ready to start. Camera off, waiting in the proverbial wings!
• Clearance - Audience in and ready to roll. The message messaged to indicate the music will fade and curtain (holding slide) with raise.
• Announcement & pre-show roll - The branding and bumper bits for consistency and polish.Emergency monitoring - Just in case bad things happen with the hosting connection a standby procedure should be prepared. A technical difficulty virtual background for the co-host or a slide.
• Chat Monitoring - if bad stuff posted in chat and a keen eye must be directed on the chat. Engagement can be established here too. Call and response, Questions for the guests?
• Show/Event ends - a plan for the end of the show
• Post-show Play-out - Goodbye and thank you while the on screen talent waits in the wings for the audience to leave.
• Closedown - when the audience leaves the curtain falls. An audience can stay and chat but eventually you have to end the party!

Part of the producing part of my job is creating on brand screen assets. For Spark that’s static title slides and animated pre and post show bumper videos. I produced the audio track with 2 children Max and Addi and thier Mum. They were amazing.

Pre-show reel

Post-show reel

Jack of All - digital skills - editing

Animated intro for digital audiences attending Spark Festival live shows and screenings will have a short tone setting ‘bumpers’. 2 local children join a Zoom call with their mum to record the announcements. A Welcome and a Farewell.

It’s a simple gesture but important as part of the audience experience. ‘What you see is what you get’ is to be human and critical. Return, reinforcement and recognition is the purpose of branding.

I love Sparks joyous illustrations. Bright, fresh, splashes of colour.

iMovie, Ripl and Pixlr the tools to actualise my digital producing stagemanagement skills.

Closing Bumper in the edit

Opening Bumper in the edit

#ACMC21 - Dates in the Diary - pt2

Arts & Cultural Management Conference: Revisiting Boarders conference later this month is taking place over 3 days (28-30 January). Participants are invited to deepen the conversation through the key themes:

REsilience // REinterpret // REimagine

I am seriously missing the intellectual stimulation of conference. A presented program of speakers all top of their fields, influencers in the professional communities. I’ve organised conferences, hosted events, spoken on stage, delivered workshops, anchored live-streams, live blogged and simply attended.

The pure attendance is so very elusive. I learnt in the early social media and networking days that you can’t be in 2 places at once. Experiences are left wanting.

I guest blogged I live tweeted as an interpretive channel. Take in a talk and listen for tweet-able gems. I’ve moderated hashtags and curated feeds. Reading the flow and filling the gaps again being an I interpretive channel.

Some speakers require your full attention. Some speakers need absorbing. Some speakers demand amplification. As an attendee you can not do both. I do not enjoy doing both as neither objective is accomplished effectively.

Walking that line of being present  on the ground and engagement in the cloud has fundamentally changed with the decimation of the professional events industry following the dawn of Covid.

I have had my interests in corporate hospitality events and the entertainment industry. I have sat the audiences of both. I have served both. I have been invited to talk. And all have been rewarding.

Now is a new time and a new dawn. No one has any less to say or share. It’s all digital now.

In 2014 my biggest livestream commission took me to Reykjavik

I was trying to market the extended audience concept and had returned it to a ferocious back burner with the heat of hope turned up high.

The Arts & Audiences extended audience experience session archive is still live, is still a vibrantly connected to its 2014 content as its is to you reviewing the legacy. http://www.audienceseurope.com/media-legacy-library.html

I want the attendee experience. The digital experience.

I have my first conference of 2021. Speakers I want to hear speak. Fellow attendees in theory feel the same. This combination is fire.

“#ACMC21 aims to provide an engaging space for students and emerging professionals to explore, question, and discuss what borders mean in today’s world, especially within the arts and culture field.”

It is from a post by networked connection and a conference speaker John Whall I discovered the conference in my LinkedIn feed. I will be blocking out my schedule saving on travel and accommodation but hoping to connect through the hashtag and selected conference platform while staying at home.

1. Review the programme
2. Identify ‘must be present for’ sessions
3. Looking for the conference corridors / break out social opportunities
4. Booking my ticket

Will there be conference corridors? I expect so, If not I may create one. At least for friend and network colleagues to come and meet. Hey, if the conference organisers read this they might ask me to create or host one.

I’m particularly interested in QUAD's Digital Participation Curator John Whall a close to home contact who I have not seen in a really long time and is a valued contact.

The conference is a joint initiative with The European Network on Cultural Management and Policy (ENCATC), aiming to foster innovative and necessary conversations with the theme of REvisiting Borders.  

It even has an Audience Europe Network essence  with several familiar names including Steven Hadley with Audience Agency, phenomenal speakers and practitioners. Steven’s Democracy of Audiences interest is particularly close to my heart.

The press released post shared by John thrilled even further as his presentation is wandering into the realm of VR too.

“Under the conference themes of REsilience, REinterpret and REimagine, John will be delving into virtual reality (VR) to deliver a practical presentation around ‘Participant-Led Engagement and the Reimagining of Exhibitions and Collections Using Immersive Technologies’. The session will be delivered in VR and demonstrate live research in how galleries and museums can work with community groups in changing how we create, see and show exhibitions using VR and AR (augmented reality). “

Quoting John the release added: “QUAD has been part of developing some exciting VR and AR content over the past few years. From exhibiting artist to partnerships with technology companies, my role in this time has involved exploring where communities and socially engaged arts practice can not only be a part of the processes involved, but also provide new creative opportunities for participants to create new work, as well as reimagine existing ones. The 2020 lockdown showed that there is a huge interest in showing and seeing exhibitions and collections in digital spaces, but what I’m really interested in is how those that visit those spaces can have an impact on them. ” 

So exited.

Visit the ACMC website for more information on attending the conference - http://acmconference.com/  

The 2021 ACMC is a joint initiative with ENCATC, aiming to foster innovative and necessary conversations with the theme of REvisiting Borders. #ACMC21 aims to provide an engaging space for students and emerging professionals to explore, question, and discuss what borders mean in today’s world, especially within the arts and culture field.

ACMC 2021 Full Schedule

From across the world selected speakers will deliver presentations, panel discussions, interactive workshops, poster presentations, artistic performances and networking sessions at ACMC 2021.

See the full event agenda https://secureservercdn.net/160.153.138.177/y3y.e66.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ACMC-2021-Agenda.pdf

Source Reference links

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/john-whall-34755a69_quad-curator-to-speak-at-arts-cultural-activity-6752547084047532032-0gsE

https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/about/news/quad-curator-speak-arts-cultural-management-conference