image: still from performance ‘Half Life’ by Cloud Eye Control
“Whenever we try to envision a world without war, without violence, without prisons, without capitalism, we are engaging in speculative fiction” (Walidah Imarisha, 2015, Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements)
“The turn to experience, as a canvas for futures practice, prods at a traditional overreliance in the field on words, and corresponding underutilisation of other media (Ramos, 2006), disclosing a transmedia landscape of alternative ways to use the future. More embodied and media-rich depictions of futures, argue proponents, can make the field more effective in shaping change”(Candy & Kornet, 2019, Journal of Future Studies)
STUDIO QUESTIONS
How can creative activities, such as live performance, help us imagine, visualise and embody hopeful futures? Can creative activities help artist-participants and audiences build resilience and adapt to challenges we might encounter in the future? How can media be used in novel and innovative ways in the context of live performance?
STUDIO DESCRIPTION
We will explore various practices, theories and frameworks that explore notions of the future: speculative fiction, speculative design and futures studies.
We will explore the relationship between speculative fiction of various forms (e.g. sci-fi books and movies) and our present realities — noting that, in some cases, fiction has predicted, or even influenced reality.
We will experiment with various techniques that seek to explore the future: forecasting, experiential futures, future artifacts and future-focused social simulations.
We will evaluate and analyse contemporary predictions about various aspects of the future: the environment, technology, relationships, work, fashion and food.
We will examine approaches and techniques of integrating media in theatre, dance, live music and live-art. We will study examples of live performance that use media in innovative ways. We will conduct technical experiments of our own.
We will touch on various traditions that feed into live performance: writing for stage, acting and dance.
Studio participants will work in groups to realise live performances that depict possible futures.
STUDIO LEADERS
Dr Alan Nguyen is a lecturer, researcher and international-award-winning writer, director, artist and designer. He writes for TV and streaming (Apple TV, Disney+, NBCU, ABC, SBS), live performance (Melbourne Theatre Company, Arts House) and develops and works with emerging technologies such as VR, AR and AI (Creative Australia, EyeJack).
Dr Sam Mcgilp is a new media artist and researcher based on Wurundjeri country in Naarm. He works with emerging technologies to create new dramaturgies of live performance, working collaboratively with Harrison Hall, Alisdair Macindoe, NAXS Future (Taiwan), Lu Yang (China), and Kazuhiko Hiwa and Makoto Uemura (Japan). Since 2022, Sam’s artistic work has been presented at Arts House, Sydney Opera House, ACMI, Zerospace New York, Asia Culture Centre Gwangju, The Substation, MIFF and Digital Art Centre