Werkmodul
Lecturer: Ben Sassen
Assessment: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Tuesday, 9:30 - 12:30 Uhr
Place: Bauhausstraße 15, Projektraum 002
First meeting: Tuesday 2010-04-13
MANI.FEST III is a class! Boost your art practice with a real professional process. Get practice, make a festival.
Course description
Led by Juniorprofessor Ben Sassen & Kyd Campbell
class will be held in English
In this Werkmodul students will learn about planning and promoting multi-media events. Working together as part of a team, they will plan the 2010 edition of the Mani.Fest. The Mani.Fest is an annual event offering artists from Weimar who work with media and performing arts a platform to present their work. The event takes place over one evening during the Bauhaus' Summary, and in previous years has featured dance, theatre and live electronic music performances. Building on the success of last year’s Mani.Fest media performance showcase, this year we will aim to continue developing the Mani.Fest brand whilst once again creating a top quality audio/visual live event with an exciting program of Weimar acts. (See MANI.FEST for more details of last year’s event)
Students joining this Werkmodul will have the opportunity to gain practical experience in:
- Creating and managing promotional campaigns - Working as part of an event production team - Managing an event budget - Installing equipment and technically producing live multi-media events - Using video to document live events - Booking and liaising with artists - Organising and working with venues - Managing relationships with sponsors
To make Mani.Fest 2010 happen we are looking for a range of students who are able to work in different roles, including: graphic design, PR and press work, artist liaison, managing sponsors, VJing, web design and team leading. If one of these sounds like the job you would like to do then come join us!
Deutsche Kurzbeschreibung
Das Mani.Fest bot während des Medienganges 2009 zahlreichen Künstlern aus Weimar eine Plattform für audio/visuelle Live Performances. Auch in diesem Jahr soll das Mani.Fest wieder stattfinden und sich weiterentwickeln.
Dieses Projekt befasst sich mit den grundlegenden Anwendungen und Prozessen, die bei dem Organisieren und der Produktion von Live Performances und Medien Events notwendig sind. Das umfasst sämtliche Schritte von der Programmentwicklung über die Akquise von Künstlern und Sponsoren, die technische Vorbereitung und der Aufbau, die Ablaufplanung, das Marketing und bis hin zur Aufführung selbst.
MANI.FEST III team members:
- Robert Dietrich
- Sophia Gräfe
- Felix Heller
- Cindy Leuther
- Patrick Richter
- Stephen Nolan
- Dagmar Fella
Admission procedure
Send me or me by e-mail after the first meeting the following information:
- Full name
- Fachrichtung and Fachsemester
- Matrikel #
- Angabe der geltenden Prüfungsordnung
- Valid e-mail address
Leistungsnachweis
Students will take part in the multiple facets of producing the 3rd edition of MANI.FEST.
Each will be responsible for documenting a part of the process and submitting a written report describing the work they have done during the project and dritical reflections on the project, at the end. This report must be submitted within 2 weeks following the festival date.
Eligible participants
Enrolled BFA, MFA and diploma students of the faculties of media, Gestaltung and participants of the media-architecture program.
Syllabus
- 13.04.10 first meeting, kick off lecture
- REPORT: At this first class we introduced the concept of MANI.FEST and the current Weimar context for AV performance presentation. We looked at a number of artist examples, talked about some different festivals, including the Tiny Noise, and previous MANI.FEST events. We discussed the possibility of creating a context for artists to improvise together during the frame of the festivals, different venues, good time lengths for an AV event, and audience comfort vs. endurance.(k.c.)
- 16.04.10 18h15 - public presentation on noise and sound art and passed MANI.FESTS
- 20.04.10 imagining our process
- REPORT: After a second overall introduction to the idea of MANI.FEST and the background of our team members, we agreed on using the media faculty's WIKI for our documentation and on the subscription in selected media art related mailing lists. We presented some of our favourite performances/performers like Candice Breitz, Gabriel Shalom, a Radiohead’s music video "House of Cards", a performance by Einstürtzende Neubauten called “Das Auge des Taifun” and some video and audio from Suicide and Pan Sonic. After this we described and looked towards all the steps of the project realization, listed resources and upcoming deadlines. According to this we discussed about our project’s funding/fund raising. In the middle of these considerations stood a precise discussion and attept to define terms related to the art genre we will present within the context of MANI.FEST. [view](s.g.)
- 27.04.10 Funding and Press Release
- REPORT. During this weeks session we looked at media art (pre1979) and discussed our opinions on various works presented. We examined the creative fund guidelines and detailed points of focus for funding applications in general. We read our press release texts. For next week (an exercise in curatorial selection) we shall find a contemporary media performance work with detailed technical specifications. We will also explore Weimar for possible venues and work further on our press release.
- Works Discussed:
- Jud Yalkut Beatles Electronique
- Tvestroy (Danny Perreault and Thomas Ouellet Frederick) Electrovideoacoustics
- John Cage 4'33"
- John Cage Water Walk
- Laszlo Moholy Nagy Light Space Modulator
- John Baldessari Teaching a plant the alphabet
- William Wegman Man Ray, Man Ray
- Philip Glass/Robert Wilson Einstein On The Beach
- Chris Burden Ad, Shoot
- 04.05.10
- REPORT: By searching for artists taking part in current festivals we found three interesting ones and studied their Tech-Riders. It's important to know exactly what we need and when we need it. We started to make a plan about every fact that's necessary to arrange a well working festival in time. Before every step the festivals identity must be clear to get in contact with artists, sponsors, press and audience. By open call we'll try to find artists. A central e-mail address is needed for Mani.fests authenticity.
- Works Discussed:
- Gudrun Gut & Antye Greie >>>>> Tech-Rider
- Artificiel POWEr >>>>> Tech-Rider
- Monomatic Peal >>>>> Tech-Rider
- 11.05.10
- 18.05.10
- 25.05.10
- 01.06.10
- 08.06.10
- 15.06.10
- 22.06.10
- 29.06.10
- 06.07.10
- 13.07.10
- EVENT DATE (t.b.a.)
Upcoming / Related
- Nuits sonores - Nuits sonores - Nuits sonores 8e édition / 12 - 16 mai 2010 / Lyon, France
- Transfera - TV show about experimental video art and AV works (on Canal Autor channel - Orange & Euskatel, Friday nights from Madrid, Spain)
- Kasseler Doku Fest - film and video art festival, 9>14 Nov. 2010
- call for projects - deadline July 19, 2010
- Cells Buttons - Yogyakarta International Media Art Festival, Indonesia - 27 July > 7 August 2010
- call for projects, deadline: May 25, 2010
- Mapping Festival - 6 > 16 May, Geneva, Switzerland, VJ festival
- Elektra Festival - 5 > 9 May, Montreal, Cananda, international digital art festival, BIG technology.
- NK project, Berlin - sound space, upcoming: May 8th, Art Kill Art Label Night
Resources
- On Curating new magazine about curatorial practice
- New Media Curating mailing list and research network
- CRUMB - Curatorial Resource for Upstart Media Bliss
- Band Camp - site hosting musicians pages from all over the world, free listening & downloading
- Bedeutung - EBOOK library & magazine, great readings!
- End Pilot production How-to - video and brochure about how to put together a festival, produced by Plastic Cut during the End Pilot Festival (Erfurt)
Artists presented in class
- Justice Yeldham - (AU) Glass, contact mics, etc.
- AGF - (DE) voice, poetry, electronic music
- André Gonçalves - (PT) arduino, electronics, household objects
- Pascale Gustin - (FR) voice, poetry, electronics
- Lappetites - (INT'L) eletronic orchestra
- Joachim Montessui - (FR) found footage, electroacoustic
- Line Nault - (CA) dance, electronic objects, video feedback
- Danny Perreault + Thomas Ouellet Fredericks - (CA) electric feedback, pure data, televisions, stroboscopic effects
- EVOL - (ES) computer music & air horns
- Shingo Inao - (JP) sensors, electronics, computer music
- Kurt Hentschlager - (AT/USA) Immersive Audiovisual Environments
- Jud Yalkut - (USA) experimental cinema, intermedia, installation video collaboration with Nam June Paik
- the Vasulkas
- Kitchen Archive (USA) - 1971-1973 An Image and Sound laborator founded by the Vasulkas in New York
Links
- Audiovision Linkliste
- MANI.FEST]
- other related courses:
Work Space
Intro Texts
Sophia Gräfe MANI.FEST 2010 Das Multi-Media-Event MANI.FEST erfährt zur Summaery 2010 seine dritte Ausgabe. Als großformatige Abendveranstaltung präsentiert MANI.FEST aktuelle herausragende Medien- und Performancekunst im Umfeld der Bauhaus Universität Weimar mit internationalen Rang. Organisiert von einem studentischen Team der Fakultäten Architektur, Medien und Gestaltung unter der Leitung des Juniorprofessors für Experimentelle Television Ben Sassen und der freien Kuratorin und Künstlerin Kyd Campbell, wird MANI.FEST Vorzeigeprojekte aus dem Bereich der experimentellen Video- und Klangkunst dem Weimarer Publikum zugänglich machen. Basierend auf den Erfolg unserer Veranstaltung aus den letzten zwei Jahren möchte MANI.FEST 2010 zudem in gleichbleibend hoher Qualität junge Vertreter unkonventioneller und neuer Kunstformen eine Plattform zur Aufführung ihrer Arbeiten bieten und die Stadt Weimar als Produktions- und Spielort medialer Gegenwartskunst etablieren.
- BASICS
- work out this plan (specify needs)
- define and describe our identity
- clarify our ultimate goal
- fix the date
- define our criteria for sponsors, press, any associates, artists
- define our approach strategy
- come to a common view on the project, shared description and approach method
- decide how we will curate the event: open call, research and invitation…
- define the criteria we need to decide on a venue
- consider the correlation between artists and venue (practical)
- think about how much budget have for each aspect (and overall)
- research and make connections with related courses, for finding artists and technical (+other) helpers
- finding technicians
- finding technical providers
- defining our target audience
- what media reaches this audience
- tv, radio, radio lotte, NDR, antenna thuringen, sputnik,
- local newspapers, student magazines
- NDR tv
- unicato
- venue
- defining the criteria for the venue
- researching venue options
- visiting venue options
- selecting venue considering size, tech provisions, image etc
- make a contract/arrangement with the venue
- think about pre-event venue
- location in the city
- pre-event planning
- to promote
- to present additional works
- how connected should it be to the main venue
- define our staffing requirements
- technical team
- general helpers
- promo
- admin
- define our insurance needs - shop for insurance
- production - consider practical aspects (tables for selling tickets, staffing and supplying the bar, licensing, toilet paper...
- GEMA music licensing fees (negotiate with venue)
- transport of equipment
- designing the technical setup - designing the space (decoration) - having seating in the venue (at least 200 seats) - do we need tables (cabaret style?)
- deciding how long the event should be - 100 min?, break? how much can the audience handle - do we want - selecting the event atmosphere (bar/party setting, formal music concert…)
- artists - how many artists? how long each will perform for - defining the kind of work we want to present - - find artists - open call ( as exploration) - visit classes to see what is being produced - ask professors - do we choose pre-made performances or ask artists to make new ones for our topic? both? - set up soundchecks - be prepared to convey the scale and quality level of the event to the artists - explain the decision process - get bio/profile info on the artists - arrange interview with artists + press
- provide some idea material for inspiring artists to apply to the open call - make some presentations in courses, or directly to some possible artists
- brainstorm inspiring info on the topic to be used for inspiring artists and conveying our overall concept
- think about the event format's relation to the medium
-i.e. the conceptual format of the night, stage setup…
- be in contact with artists - post on piazza - send to faculty and professor mailings - send info to the courses directly - visit and make info presentation in relevant courses -
- make a call for projects flyer - set up a project email account so people can get in touch with us - have info ready online specifying the submission procedure - explain why we collect so much info, bio, tech setup, concept, image links etc. - let people know that our platform is available
- decide whether the event will have a specific thematic or not
- share a workshop : how to apply to a festival (cv, documentation, proposal writing) - coinciding with our deadline
- define the application deadline
- public relations - flyers - website, online, good URL - appropriate design - make a press plan/schedule - video trailer - myspace, facebook etc... - online magazines, media art international + locally based ones - erfurt based Copymag - press conference (maybe combined with pre-event) well related to the atmosphere of our event - make a press pack - make contact with press partners - Medien Faculty press agent (Antje Kahn) - central University press office (in Rektor's office) - Summaery press team -
- put content online
- write press text
- research open local dates, do not coincide with another local event - connect with the Summer Rundgang, Summaery - Sunday night? - define the time of night (start time) - shared planning with other local events and shared promo (ie with Summaery)
- connect asap with our partners in HfM - get the technical list (what is available) form the HfM and the venues
- make the link with the Summaery, become part of their program
- visit earlier events in town and promote (ie. during Backup)
- design visual branding - think about the atmosphere for the artists and the benefit to the artists - design pre actions and decorations to reflect the event's concept