Past Projects (2021-22)
Aerowaves – Springback Ringside
Nothing beats a live experience but what if something could? What if you could go to your local community centre, put on a VR headset, and experience dance as you experience dance in a theatre? Springback Ringside is testing how to present and tour a performing arts work with the aid of virtual reality and all its practical implications.
The geographically diverse partnership consists of Aerowaves (UK), Croatian Cultural Centre (Croatia), EN-KNAP Productions (Slovenia), Tanec Praha (Czech Republic), Institution Student Cultural Centre in Novi Sad (Serbia), Workshop Foundation (Hungary), Igor & Moreno / S’Ala Spazio (Italy). What is unique about this project is that the venues/presenters are embracing and supporting the artistic work as the artists themselves do not travel. The project also does not sacrifice the audience’s experience as the event itself is a hybrid one as a live, interactive talk with the artists is part of the presentations.
This project practises a new economic model according to the common conditions that have already been agreed with the dozen artists of the current Aerowaves’ catalogue. They are remunerated not only each time the VR recording is played to an audience, but also with a fee to appear live after that showing to engage in Q&A dialogue with the audience moderated by a Springback writer, who also receives a fee. While Idiot-Syncrasy is the main artistic work that is touring, partners are showcasing at least one other work from the catalogue. In doing so, the partnership hopes to be sustainable and achieve its long-term goal where the only item that needs to travel is a digital file. For now, this Perform Europe project will care for the environment and foster awareness about ecological concerns while travelling by electric vehicle, train or boat.
Yet the partnership does not seek to replace live experiences. Some presentations are happening in remote or marginalised communities and, by offering such experiences to people living there, Springback Ringside hopes to intrigue imaginations and push audiences towards live experiences.
Partners
Artistic Works
Benoite Fanton