370 likes | 707 Views
The ANNIE project. Mark Childs . The ANNIE project. Providing access to remote experts/ remote delivery to students using various technologies in various teaching situations supporting drama, dance and theatre studies. ANNIE Project. Linking together UK universities and outside experts
E N D
The ANNIE project Mark Childs
The ANNIE project • Providing access to remote experts/ remote delivery to students • using various technologies • in various teaching situations • supporting drama, dance and theatre studies
ANNIE Project Linking together UK universities and outside experts • Universities are Warwick, Kent, De Montfort, Exeter, Queens Belfast • Experts in Kansas, Vancouver, Frankfurt and around UK (BBC, Blast Theory and universities listed above)
Sections • Introduction to virtual performances • Telematic Performance workshops at Warwick • Three contrasting types of workshop • Questions raised by virtual performances
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
screen PC Monitor webcamera P Laptop Data projector Video camera Video bus PC Monitor webcamera P P P P P P P multipoint Hub P uplink
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
Blast Theory • Theatre group incorporating new technology in their work. • Merging audience and performers • Rationale: to make work accessible, to engage with changes in society, to reposition theatre as innovative and exciting
Warwick workshop At Warwick students developed pieces using • Walkie talkies • Chat rooms • Displayed on screen via data projector
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
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’
Where next? • ANNIE project finished March 2003 • Dissemination activities continue • Possibility of transferability funding to pursue further work
Contacts • m.childs@warwick.ac.uk • http://www.warwick.ac.uk/ETS/ANNIE/