Mixed Reality Performance Hack June 13-19, 2020
Toasterlab Mixed Reality Performance Hack
Open to participants anywhere!
What happens when new immersive technologies, like Augmented and Virtual Reality, find themselves going down trails less travelled, where high speed internet is not a given? How does this key piece of accessibility change the dramaturgy of hybrid virtual/physical performances? From software solutions to 5G drones, FM radio or shows with performers distributed across the globe, teams will imagine future solutions beyond social distances.
"I’ve begun working with Toasterlab at Nakai as we explore the potential for creating and sharing immersive and mixed digital experiences from the Yukon. I’m a deep believer in the physical and I’m a deep believer in the potential for digital connection to bring huge value to the lives of Yukoners and, one hopes, those beyond our borders. There are very specific things about working up here – especially if we want to work out on the land, and we very much do. A lack of the infrastructure and internet connections assumed by most immersive digital experiences – also, no electricity or running water. These are unremarkable constraints up here."
Jacob Zimmer, Artistic Director, Nakai Theatre
Nakai will bring some questions and scenarios, along with inviting Yukons creative and digital sector to participate as full participants or as field experts who can answer questions and speak to the realities of making digital work here.
What do you mean “mixed reality”?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a thing no one wants on their head. (We kid. Sort of.)
Augmented Reality (AR) is adding a digital layer on reality.
Mixed Reality (MR) is creating interactions between the digital and physical world.
Want to join a team?
We still have some spaces in the Hack, get in touch with us to express you interest so we can see if there is room for you to join this year's Hack!
Team Formation
You’ll form teams of 4 or 5 people, in some combination of artists, storytellers and designers with at least one technical person, for instance a game developer or sound designer. Everyone will introduce themselves on Discord. Project ideas may be proposed and discussed using Discord and we’ll also facilitate team formation on Saturday.
Working Sessions (participants only)
Saturday, June 13, 2020 - Lightning Talks/Team Formation, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT- Sunday, June 14, 2020: Office Hours Window, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. EDT- Wednesday, June 17, 2020: Feedback + Sharing with All Groups, 12 - 1 p.m. EDT
We’ve added in a “Lightning Talk” session for you to propose your projects and we’ll set up a group call for this. We’ll give you up to 5 minutes to explain your idea. If you have an idea of the expertise you’d welcome to your project, now’s the time to make sure everyone knows what skillsets you’re looking for! After the call we’ll move to Discord. While we anticipate that people will self-organize, we will facilitate where needed!
Public Sessions (Streaming on Howlround)
KICK OFF
Saturday, June 13, 2020 - 12 - 1 p.m. EDT
FINAL PRESENTATIONS
Friday, June 19, 2020 - 1 - 3 p.m. EDT
Working Sessions (Participants Only)
Sunday, June 14, 2020: Office Hours Window, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, June 17, 2020: Feedback + Sharing with All Groups, 12 - 1 p.m. EDT
All of these times are Eastern Daylight Saving Time (GMT-4). If you're unsure of when these times are locally for you, you can check here: https://www.thetimezoneconverter.com/
About Toasterlab Atelier
The third gathering of the Atelier was planned in partnership with FoldA to integrate with this year’s program and included a Hackathon to rapidly ideate solutions to some of the hard problems Toasterlab had found at the midway point of the Atelier project.
Now spread over a week to allow for flexible distance participation, the Toasterlab Mixed Reality Performance Hack (tMoRPH) invites a small but diverse group of artists and technologists to break ideas and explore how to engage with mixed reality performance in remote and low-bandwidth environments. We will partner with Nakai Theatre of Whitehorse to explore ways in which these new immersive technologies, which have benefited from ubiquitous connectivity in our populations centres, find themselves going down trails less travelled and where connectivity is not a given.