Webinar on-demand: Five Minute Theatre in an Hour!

WEBINAR 10: Five Minute Theatre in an Hour!

The tenth in AmbITion Scotland’s webinar series is an in-depth case study of the live and online production by National Theatre Scotland of Five Minute Theatre. It explores the issues and opportunities of digitizing live, cultural experiences; crowdsourcing content; and building online audiences, so is for anyone interested in those concepts, and is not specific to theatre!

Responsibly international performing arts practice (its digital!)

The British Council have been hosting their Edinburgh Showcase 2011, which included a digital day, focusing on creating engaging digital content (case studies: Digital Theatre, NT LIve!, Watershed) and engaging audiences digitally (case studies: National Theatre Wales, Sadler’s Wells, Hoipolloi & my very own Envirodigital). I talked to the international delegates about how to engage audiences internationally, but responsibly (in relation to protecting the environment).

Interactive Concert Hall – eco future and increased audiences for classical music

The New World Centre’s new concert hall (Miami Beach, Florida by Gehry Partners – more about the architecture spec) has embedded 360-degree video projection technology that ensures world-class classical music performances can happen without the environmental impact of touring an orchestra, conductors, and or soloists from somewhere else. Advanced audio technology and connectivity to the internet via Internet 2 (the USA’s version of academic mega bandwidth network JA.NET). The solution allows (for example) a conductor in Australia to conduct an orchestra on stage in Florida – to a live audience of 757 in the concert hall, and an outside audience paying a much lower ticket price in the grounds of the New World Centre watching the Wallcast, and to a connected via a website virtual audience anywhere in the world. I love this movie captured on a mobile phone by an audience member watching the wallcast – picnics, cagoules, less pomp and less expensive champagne: classical music for the masses not the exclusives – a healthy future for classical music as it increases reach, scale and accessibility without increasing carbon emissions:

Enjoy a Christmas show even when you’re in bed…..

Anyone who has been following the streaming groups may know that I have been working on a project with our Christmas Show. Jock and the Beanstalk. The idea came about following work with staff. We asked what did people think was a worthwhile use of digital technology. And this one popped up and everyone said let’s give it a go. I’ll be writing up the project in more detail after Jan plus some evaluation work with staff and the hospitals. So more information to follow on the ups and downs.

So here is the details.

Arts and Theatres Trust Fife (AttFife) will screen a special free performance of its Christmas show, Jock and the Beanstalk, by award-winning theatre company Wee Stories, from Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall to children’s wards in six hospitals across Scotland, as well as transmitting it across various digital media to a wider audience.

The hospitals and hospice included in the project are Forth Park Children’s Ward in Kirkcaldy, Queen Margaret Children’s Ward in Dunfermline, Sick Kids in Edinburgh, Ninewells Children’s Ward in Dundee, Rachel House Hospice in Kinross and Sick Kids in Yorkhill, Glasgow.

Over the last few months we have been working closely with each hospital involved in the project to understand the needs of both patients and staff. In so doing, we have developed a tailored approach to suit each individual hospital depending on the needs of patients and their technical resources. So, for instance, in one hospital, children may be settling down to watch Jock and the Beanstalk on the large screens in their wards or playrooms; in Dundee and Glasgow, the Medi-cinema facilities can be utilized, and in others, the conference facilities usually reserved for teaching purposes, but perfectly suitable for screening and also access to the internet, will be used. The idea to apply use of the facilities in this way had simply never been considered before.

The project includes a pre-recorded performance on 21^st December in the children’s wards with a live link-up via the internet to Carnegie Hall so that children can ask questions in real-time of the production team and actors. A live stream of the full show proved difficult with the consistancy of Broadband and the last thing we wanted was for the show to buffer or connection collpase.

Staff from AttFife and volunteers from each hospital will also be on hand to make the family party atmosphere spread from Fife to each of the hospitals in Scotland. Each hospital will be given a Jock and the Beanstalk Christmas fun box, containing craft activities, colouring- in pens and stickers, and there will be face-painting. The children in hospital, their families and staff, will be able to enjoy a Christmas show even though they are in hospital.

In addition to the screening in hospitals on 21st December, Jock and the Beanstalk will be shown on SOLUS plasma screens in up to 250 public waiting areas in hospitals across Scotland, the first time cultural content will be made available on this network.

SOLUS will also be providing a Web-based TV channel where the performance may be viewed on demand. This will be particularly beneficial to some children who are not well enough on the day to see the group screening, or if children simply want to catch up again with other friends and family. The staff may also want to view again over the festive period.

So 21st December is D-day for the event and then plenty of opportunity to follow up with us on how the whole process went, the highs and lows. The things we thought about and the things that were unexpected.

AmbITion Scotland video case study: ATT Fife