Writing the Rules... Session One
Writing the Rules for Zoom? A no-cost skillshare for socially engaged artists and educators
Friday 12th June
4pm - 5.30pm
A no-cost skills exchange session to share how socially engaged art practitioners and educators have used, adapted and reshaped Zoom (and other video comms platforms) for workshops and other group activities.
Over the last few months Zoom has become a public sphere of choice with work, workshops, social gatherings and public events all taking place here. As a tutor using Zoom to teach and as a socially engaged artist I am interested in how group work is being navigated on this platform and in turn the unique ways that socially engaged artists and educators are adapting and reshaping it. Some things I have been thinking about are how to make this online space more inclusive, material sensitive, intimate, safe, challenging the vid-comms aesthetic, convivial, challenging power dynamics, tactile, and fun…
The workshop will start with a short presentation and demonstration of a technique, followed by the opportunity for participants to demonstrate techniques or present an idea or something they have tried. There will be time for reflective discussion.
Email me (parry.alexandra@gmail.com) if you would like to come, and whether you would like to host an activity or talk about what you've been doing. Depending on the time of each activity I imagine there will be space for 3-5 people to present or host and activity.
I am interested in how that now all social practice artists and educators also have to work with the camera and screen. As people who work with or demonstrate techniques or creative acts with materials how can this translate through the screen. Questions include how can the screen be tactile? Thinking about sound, and thinking about what creates tactility in these spaces.
I thought about Laura U Marks who writes about tactility and the screen and how this can be created through film.
I also thought about ASMR - people working with hyper tactility and how this can translate through screen and sound.
I then demonstrated a technique that enables the workshop leader to create two or several different camera viewpoints when delivering a workshop. It could be particularly useful when you want to show your physical presence and gestures, but also you want to demonstrate and focus on materials or the activity.
There is a very simple solution for how to do this which is to login to the Zoom call with as many devices as you need and have access to. For example I used my phone which allows greater mobility and movement, as well as the camera via my computer.
The image below is me demonstrating how to do this - the green object is shown via the camera on my phone. I also asked participants to 'pin' the video of the materials so I could control which was the main image shown.
Artist and researcher Youngsook Choi made a presentation about how she translated her participatory performance 'Unapologetic Coughing' to the online space. You can read more about the project at her website
https://youngsookchoi.com/unapologetic-coughing
Sadie Edginton led a workshop exploring what publics we might have access to now. We drew diagrams showing who we are in communication with and the spaces where this communication takes place - from postal correspondence, speaking with people from call centres on phones, to social media, to walking in the streets and parks
My messy notes about what everyones interests are:
How can participants participate without having to speak?
How to translate participation in lockdown?
How can we keep hold of chaos?
Whats the translation between the physical and digital?
How can workshop participants still participate outside of the session?
My very messy diagram showing what publics I have access to at the moment
Further notes
I was inspired by one of the participants who was talking about there being a lack of specific platforms for artists to show work/performances/run workshops thats outside of corporate platforms like Facebook and Instagram.