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)
Videoconferencing activities
Sections Introduction to virtual performances Telematic Performance workshops at Warwick Three contrasting types of workshop Questions raised by virtual performances
Telematic Performance at Warwick
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
PC Monitor webcamera Hub P P P uplink PC Monitor webcamera P P Laptop Data projector Video camera Video bus multipoint P PP P screen
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
Structured improvisations
Rehearsed performance piece
Blast Theory workshop
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
Physical Performance workshop
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
Telematic Performance at DMU
Differences with Warwick Students based at home for 2 nd and 4 th 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
Potential transferability activities
Contacts