May - August 2014

WORKSHOPS:

Vimma goes Odradical – Pecap Exercises for Becoming
Design workshop (19. – 23.5.) and Performance workshop (25. – 29.8.)

Planning and organizing of the workshop together with the collaborators T7/ UTA (Roihankorpi, Lenni-Taattola, Määttänen), Aalto yliopisto (Bastamow), QUT (Mohr, Bennett), KTH (Alexanderson), Cabaret Electrique (Bäckbro). The objective of the workshops was to develop the animation as a part of performer-orientated and real-time performance capture work. With this project´s last series of workshops the research on finding the basic parameters of the PeCap performer as a producer of a mixed-reality performance is concluded.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT:

Mediapolis research collaboration
The research collaboration to be gathered in Mediapolis was developed further by designing collaborative research projects (Devising Games, Reactio) with the other research institutions.

Devising Games (2015-2016) creates a globally unique performer-orientated media- and game design concept to the campus. UTA/T7 (Roihankorpi, Lenni-Taattola) (actors work) will operate as the coordinating partner of the project. Other partners are TAMK (scriptwriting, animation, programming, direction), TUT/3D Media Group (signal processing), YLE and Open Tampere -programme. Applications were send to ERDF on 3.9. (with a budget of 813 000 €) and to Tekes Uusi arvonluonti –programme on 16.9. (with a budget of 1 166 000 €). The project will create collaboratively with its partners a globally unique work network in sensor-based and virtual performance capture, game performance, – writing, -directing to the Pirkanmaa region. The network can be capitalized on both commercial and communal activity.

The planning of the Reactio project (2015-2017) was initiated with UTA (Roihankorpi, Lenni-Taattola), TAMK and TUT. The project will develop further the development work on game and media contents initiated in Devising Games. Reactio focuses on the processes of interactive content produced in local and remote information connections. The project will utilize in its research the newest sensor and fibre technology and their increasing use in the Baltic Sea region. Reactio produces productional and spatial forms that can be used in remote performances (media field), multimedial event productions and health care/ social development contexts (long-term illness wards, children/ elderly and other special groups needing attention on achievability). Funding will be applied from EU´s Regional Development´s Baltic Sea Region Programme (2014-2020). The universities of the Pirkanmaa region and media industry will realize the project. Partners are gathered from the research units, art institutions and professionals of culture and entertainment sector from the Baltic Sea region: Åland (organizations in the education and care industry, culture producers), Sweden (Riksteatern), Estonia (Viljandi Culture Academy/ University of Tartu), related research units in Germany and Poland. The Reactio project capitalizes on the technical solutions and concepts to improve achievability in performance production developed in the preceding Drex, Vimma (Ornaments) and Devising Games projects to structure performative environments in the Baltic Sea region.

The mentioned development projects are networked with industry and commerce. The cooperation forecasts significant employment and company development especially in the game and care industries. For this reason new funding strategies (ERDF, Tekes, Horizon 2020, Baltic Sea Region Programme) and expanding research network for further development work have been structured during the reporting period. The outlook on invocating the project´s results has expanded significantly during the reporting period. From the main partners point of view (Mediapolis, YLE, TAMK, TUT, game industry, Open Tampere Programme, international partners) the collaboration projects and concepts developed in the project are significant steps in turning currently untapped branch of industry (performance-based game/ media production) into a national export product.

Reactive residence as a part of Mediapolis-initiative
The development work on Reactive residence concept continues between the school of Communication, Media and Theatre CMT and the school of Information Sciences SIS. The schools will centre their Mediapolis related research in the shared workspace 1st of October onwards.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION:
Roihankorpi gave a paper at the Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) at the Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies conference entitled Restoring Balance: Ecology, Sustainability, Performance June 25 -28. The paper was entitled Intermedial Ecologies: strategies of preparedness, research and design in real time Performance Capture.

During the reporting period Roihankorpi led the preparations of the HAPtic research network project´s (2015-2019) preparations. HAPtic (Human Agency in Performance: Technology, Interactivity and Creativity) is doctoral programme for 15 PhD projects for which funding will be applied from the Horizon 2020 (Innovative Training Networks) before January 13th 2015.

PRODUCTIONS:
Andrée

The production and the related research and design will be concluded in the Ornaments sub-project (Määttänen, Niemeläinen). The results will be presented during the main reporting period in 2015. The reason for this is the personal/ professor change in Näty (UTA, actors´ training) and the followed education structure change and the delay of the project.

Ornaments
Määttänen ja Niemeläinen conducted on June 6th the Ornaments instrument prototype demo. The Ornaments has created tools to create related works combining sounds and visuals. The works can be utilized in artistic and social-ethical contexts. The programming environments enable a modular structure that can be generalized after the sub-project is concluded. By the end of the reporting period two virtual instruments are ready. A third instrument is scheduled to be ready by the end of 2014. Simultaneously Määttänen and Niemeläinen are developing the first playable contents.