Summary
Connecting independent theatre and performing arts with open source and circular economy approaches.
Background
In April 2015, during the “Theater is a Must” Forum, theater makers from Alexandria and Cairo came together in an expert workshop to exchange ideas towards building a collaborative economy with producers of the independent theatre scene in Alexandria and Egypt.
During the workshop we mapped the current situation of contemporary theater productions, their outreach and the interaction with the audience as a basis for better understanding of different perspectives. Building on that, we explored future possibilities, resources and capacities that will benefit from collaborative developments and strategic actions.
Getting to know about the OSCEdays, we found the event an ideal occasion to take some ideas from the first workshop further. Together with people from the open-source and circular economy scene, we would like to broaden the existing material, develop new scenarios and hand-ons approaches.
What are we passionate about?
We are in the process of building a co-working project dedicated to the assembly of contemporary theater productions and experiments which are based on socio-political concepts. In parallel we wish to offer a space for strengthening and motivating a critical process, creative practices and shared infrastructures in the field of contemporary theater in Egypt and the Arabic region.
Our idea is to establish a laboratory in which to explore, generate and test new ideas in theater and performing arts. It could work on different levels, from accumulating knowledge and experiences, to enhancing the artistic production process, to pooling ideas and methods towards a sustainable economy, audience development, outreach power as well as cultural policies and freedom of expression.
It can only be done together!
By developing this idea, we wish to invite professionals and new stakeholders to address and define these artistic and economic challenges as well as researching and developing new approaches for different production processes. In order to enable the theatrical landscape in Egypt to continue to be a driver in the current debates towards a democratic and sustainable transition of the country, independent theater groups need to build structures to sustain themselves.
Therefore we’re very much looking forward to meeting and working with you! We will include the results of the workshop in the current developments of the project and have come up with three related challenges:
The Challenges
1st Challenges focussing on a hands-on prosuming approach: How can the independent theater and performing arts scene collaborate with the open source and circular economy scene by creating new hardware products?
Including: building technical, stage design and infrastructure equipment that is paving the way for a new status quo within contemporary theater production, reducing costs, sharing sources as well contributing to a new economy (e.g. arduino devices for light/sound/video, devices for interactive or documentary theatre, reusable props etc.)
2nd Challenge focussing on a future scenario: How would a scenario of an open source circular economy look like within the independent theater and performing arts scene in Egypt?
Including: physical components in the production (made in a way that they can be reused), public/political aspects (e.g. freedom of expression, performing outside of theaters) as well as principles of community building (creative commons, code of conduct …)
3rd Challenge focussing on public spaces: How can public spaces become a stage for socio-political interaction, discussion and development by integrating and building upon open source and circular economy principles?
Including: theater and performing arts as a form of civic hacking and urban transformation, freedom of expression vs. censorship off- and online, the internet - a public space?, open data mining as a tool towards a circular economy?
Format
One day workshop or hackathon on Friday 12 June at Nahdet el Mahrousa.
We are still working out the detailed format. There will be short presentations and professional facilitation. The detailed agenda will be updated soon.
Morning session
- Getting to know the participants and their background.
- Introduction about what could be the intersections between independent theater / open source / circular economy.
Afternoon session (after Friday prayer)
- Breaking down the challenges, building different scenarios, proposals
and prototypes
Resources and Media
Please bring your computers. We will organize paper, pens, maybe a beamer.
Looking forward to meeting you on June 12th!
@hazem , Adel and @CarolinePaulickThiel