ConTactic
Deadline 24 May – now closed for applications
Project description:
ConTactic is an cross-disciplinary practice-based research project that aims to explore the ability of virtual touch and the possibility of eliciting both tactile and non-tactile senses through affective sensory experience of virtual contact improvisation. This project is to challenge the limit of how telematic technology, as a computer mediated telecommunication, can be connected with tele-synaesthesia, somatic practice and haptic wearable sound and music creation in performance making, as a creative tool, a chorographical device and a new technology that could reengineer proprioception of the human body. The first stage of this project will use a series of online workshops, in which the dancers from physical theatre company Aura Curiatlas in United States will be interacting virtually in the same shared virtual space with artists and dancers in the UK. The aim of the first milestone of the project is to create an online digital archive and resources for virtual contact improvisation, which is not only for physically dislocated individuals seeking collaboration, but also for individuals with neurodiversities that affect their sensory perception to experience body and movement in alternative ways. The development of this project will bring new levels of creativity to live performance and explores issues crucial to the future of performance practice: from new approaches to spectacle and illusion to understanding the nuances of virtual intimacy, empathy, kinaesthetic-tactile learning, and audio-visual performance.
This project is open to individuals who are from an underrepresented group, especially individuals who have experience of hearing or sight impairment, or neurodiversities affecting sensory perception.
Tasks and activities to be undertaken by the UG/PGT student:
- You will join each workshop virtually to observe, participate and engage with the conversation with the artists, researchers and dancers in a number of 2-hour workshop session.
- You will be confident with presenting your ideas and thoughts in the group setting online.
- You will assist the project lead to create a new website, by contributing to the visual design for the website and organization of digital and online archive from each workshop.
Experience and knowledge required/desired:
- Have experience in contact improvisation and/or dance and/or theatre and/or performance art practice.
- Have experience in sound/music making, and/or moving image practice, and/or animation.
- Have a certain knowledge and experience about contemporary art practice and interdisciplinary practice and research.
- Have experience in website design and/or illustration and/or digital art practices
Have digital software skills in using Adobe Photoshop and Premier, and/or Final Cut, and/or Logic Pro, and/or Ableton Live, and/or Resolume Avenue.
Skills, knowledge, experience to be gained:
- You will learn about the experimental method of using telematic technology to create virtual contact improvisation and virtual interaction with bodies that are physically dislocated.
- You will have experience to work collaboratively with a group of artists, researchers, and dancers through an interdisciplinary approach
- You will gain knowledge in contemporary art practice that encompasses performance, dance, theatre, moving image, sound, and socially engaged practice.
- You will gain knowledge about practice-based research, how to develop an artistic project independently, how to create a project plan, and project management.
- You will have the experience to be part of the development of an artist-led research project.
- You will gain experiences in digital skill, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Resolume Avenue.
- You will have experience to work with wearable interactive sound and music making technology and gain knowledge in sound composition.
Project lead: Ada Hao, X.Hao@brighton.ac.uk
School: Art and Media