Online Creative Programme

*The event is now closed, however we are always keen to support other projects through mentorship, consulting and workshops tailor to the project’s need, so do get in touch from our contact page!

Subscribe to our Newsletter to be kept informed of upcoming online programmes. In the meantime, take a look at our past programme below.

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Introduction

VR, AR and XR technologies and the experiences they provide are becoming increasingly popular in many industries such as architecture, entertainment, construction, training, healthcare and transport. Similarly, performing arts are also benefitting from these new technologies to imagine and create performances that could never have been done without them.

In this online creative programme, we hope to inspire those who are already working in the creative industries or anyone interested in working with creative media. As we are not technologists, our approach to these tools remains creative. We are driven by the audience experience we want to provide and use the technology so it serves the performance. But understanding the technology and its restrictions is key to push the boundaries of what tech is able to offer. Exchange and communication with great technical collaborators is also the crucial seed for the best harvest of creative solutions and ideas.

We are going to offer a series of free online creative learning sessions based on our 2 major creations WHIST and 0AR.

Programme

There are different programmes available.

∙ WHIST Artist’s Talk + Q&A

∙ 0AR Artist’s talk + Q&A

∙ 360 filmmaking workshop

Artist’s talk about creation process of WHIST and Q&A

Come chat with us about the creation process of WHIST, merging physical theatre, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and 360 film.

In this talk, Artistic Directors Aoi and Esteban will share their journey of creating WHIST, from the initial idea to the development of the piece and importance of the interaction with the viewer. This talk will focus on the process and meaning behind the work rather than the outcome.

The talk will last approximately 1 hour and will be followed by a Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with us.

About WHIST

Inspired by the works of Sigmund Freud and Shuji Terayama, WHIST is surreal dance meets virtual reality, taking you deep inside the unconscious mind.

This one-hour experience merges physical theatre, interactive Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and an art installation, where instinct and desire will drive you in one of 76 possible directions, as you take an illuminating journey inside a fictional family’s fears and dreams.

Featuring original score by Jozef van Wissem and Scott Gibbons and art installation by James Shaw, this promenade performance invites you to drive your own narrative in a virtual world.

Artist’s talk about creation process of 0AR and Q&A

Come chat with us about the creation process of 0AR, a collection of short dance works in Augmented Reality (AR) for all ages.

Open to participants aged 16 and over.

This talk is focused on the creation process of 0AR, and the use of Augmented Reality in the Dance performance context. We will go through our creation journey, explaining how the concept evolved from Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's seminal work zerodegrees, which 0AR is based on.

The talk will last approximately 30 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with us. No prior experience is needed.

About 0AR

0AR is a collection of short dance works in Augmented Reality (AR) for all ages. AΦE (choreographers Aoi Nakamura and Esteban Lecoq) sought to bring the live-ness and collective theatrical experience into the work, reimagining the application of this technology. Experiencing 0AR communally via five connected devices, audiences are encouraged to explore, move around the space and interact where their actions have a unique influence on the piece.

0AR is based on seminal masterpiece zero degrees (2005), a collaboration between dancers/choreographers Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, sculptor Antony Gormley and composer Nitin Sawhney. Inspired by their own dual identities, Khan and Cherkaoui searched for the reference point, the source, the ‘0’ at life’s core, through polar opposites, life/death, light/dark, chaos/order.

360 Filmmaking Workshop

This hands-on (virtual!) workshop is aimed at participants willing to learn how to create their own 360 film. No prior experienced required!

From creative thinking, to shooting and delivering the film to your audience, we will go through each stage together step by step. Most importantly, we want this to be your film with your own creative inputs. Whether you are a theatre director, musician, visual or spoken word artist, you name it, we will tailor our approach to you and hope to discover your world and explore your ideas during the workshop, as much as we will share ours.

The programme will consist of 5 online sessions spread across one week led by AΦE’s Artistic Directors, Aoi and Esteban. Creative tasks will be given each day and reviewed during the following session. We will closely follow participants’ progression through one to one sessions and tailor them to your needs and creation.

We recommend attending our masterclasses on WHIST and 0AR prior to participating in the workshop as this will give you some of the keys to immersive productions.

Day 1 - Concept making

We will discuss and give examples of how we look for inspiration and develop our concepts. We will specifically focus on the audience’s feelings on 360 filmmaking and explore different possibilities together. Then the technicality of it will follow the creative ideas. Each participant will be given the task of creating a concept of their own.

Day 2 - Creating a storyboard, script, set and action

This step is crucial to the final result. We will explain how we made the storyboard and set for our 360 films, and how we choreographed the action according to the script and storyboard. The participants will then be given the task to create their own storyboard, script, set and action.

Day 3 - Shooting

We will explain the use of 360 camera, the angles to explore and the key points to be aware of while shooting. The participants will choose their filming location and shoot their own film after this session.

Day 4 - Editing

We will go through the process of basic editing skills on Premiere Pro. Participants will then carry on their own to finalise their film editing and export it prior to the next session. They will be able to ask us questions throughout their editing process.

Day 5 - Sharing of the results and open discussion

We will stream every participant/team’s work and give feedback. We will end the workshop by discussing further possibilities for each project and ask for feedback on the sessions from participants.

Sessions will be delivered using Zoom, 10:00-12:00 (BST) every day.

Participants are required to have their own tools (360 camera, editing software, VR headset or Samsung Galaxy S6 onwards for review, tripod if required, in addition we will use whatever we have at home to make the set e.g. cardboard, blue tag, glue gun, toothpick, acrylic paint etc...) to join the workshop. Recommended tools will be sent prior to the workshop.

However, when you book your place, we will ask each participants whether if you own the necessary equipment and people who would like to take part but do not own any. We will then match participants owning their equipment with the others so you can work in teams.