senses festival
Concept Writing
When each person buys a ticket (or performer/talker), they are given one of nine themes based of differently senses. The senses could be based on textures, colours, smells, tastes, vibrations etc. The themes could be very unusual like the texture of oily metal, the smell of cut grass, the colour orange, the texture of carpet, the taste of cookies. There are requested to create a sample of music in Ableton live based around that sense; e.g. a beat, baseline melody etc. They are not told why but informed it will be for a very exciting reason, and that they should make it dam good! When entering the festival and sorting registration each person hands in there abtleton music sample, which then goes onto the network. They are also requested to maybe reflect their sense in their clothes without being totally fancy dress? or maybe it could be full on fancy dress?
As they walk into the festival they then realise what it's all about, each area of the festival has been turned into an immersive space based on those sense experiences. They walk into one place which reflects the oily metal, the room is full of car mechanics stuff, objects, chains, metal sculptures made from recycled car parts, the whole place feels gritty, cold, harsh. There's a big sound system there, and a space for workshops. You walk through to another room and the whole place has been decked from floor to ceiling with carpeting of all different sizes, colours textures. The room sounds very very muffled, very close and soft. again, a big sounds system and soft sofas for workshops. Suddenly people get the idea, realising each person theme related one of the nine rooms, like the kitchen area baking all the fresh bread and free cookies, or the orange room which is blanketed with orange and yellow stretched fabric with smooth soft warm colour projects, an yes another big fat sound system. Each of the rooms as an immersive interactive experience to please the senses, to intrigue and interest.
Now what you have is a huge collection of peoples recording, created in able live based on these 9 rooms. All of the music is openly shared and used as the content for the workshops based in each of the rooms, and later on used for performances for in the evenings. you walk into the crazy carpeted room, join a workshop, everyone is discussing, creating, sharing and creating music from the carpet music sample handed in. The rooms can be very playful and interactive, with all kind of related objects to the themes. It would be nice if each room has a compare/host to bring the audience together. Each host would again reflect the theme, e.g. a mechanic playing glitchy techno with a east london accent, a man in a smoking jacket and upperclass accent, and slipper in the carpet room, a gardening hippy in the grass/plant smelling greenhouse room. In the kitchen area maybe a woman taking the piss out of negela lawsom, With the right casting for the host the rooms will have such a great atmosphere.
Rather than having rooms for different music, it happens organically, like the caper room could end up with some interesting chill out music, and bigger louder spacing for more upbeat dance, who knows!? The ideas is to not choose or control what music is played in the rooms but facilitate the creation of music in these spaces. This is much more exciting, with creativity way beyond anything any of us could have imagined, or produced directly. What we are do is supplying the raw ingredients; people, creative spaces, technical set-ups, sound systems, food, drinks, smiles… and the rest just comes together. In terms of headline artists, each of then can be given a sense theme, one that most suits them. But rather than just a simple sense type, they can be given a fuller brief of what to create and bring along for there performance and workshops.
Inspiration
Guess it's based on all our conversations, and my general thinking over the years. Taking simple principles from natural systems and reflecting them… letting life's itself do it's magic. I've just bought that permaculture book, looking forwards to reading it. In terms of experience. This is exactly what Nowhere festival is like, raw ingredients and the knowledge and belief that things build themselves. There's no timetable plan for nowhere, it just happens, and it works. And no one know what will happen till it happens, just like life. To bring this vibe to Ablton would be challenging, but totally possible. My work with playgroup/nowhere festival gave me experience of group participation, and people systems. Something I feel is important is tolerance (in terms of measurement), out of say 2000 people, the system needs to work if only 25%-90%, as opposed to a system that only works if 60%-90% join in. Not everyone will take part in the interaction, but if we understand this, it's not a problem. Things can be done to build inclusiveness into the event, understanding the importance of making people feel safe and confident enough to express themselves through music and dance, and playing the part of the rooms. Equally not making the interactions feel protencious is important, often by making it easy to access without too much effort this can be avoided. So much could happen way beyond what we can even imagine.
Research
I honestly know very little about Ableton. I have a rough vibe/idea about it and some of the people who use it. I'd really like to understand more about the software, it's applications, experiments with it, application across different media, their current events, people using it, people developing it, marketing, company plans/goals/vission, company structure, there dream/ambition, their favourite artists using it. I do a range of brand/company strategy work. It's really useful stuff, which i feel is pretty crucial, out of which really creative ideas and understandings emerge. I've put all of these thought together, but without good solid research, a magic ingredient could be missed. I'll send you over a couple brand strat docs to give you a feel, one for my scaffolding company, and the other for digicave. It can seem a little wanly, but these processes really help companies/clients open up and bring a lot to the table.
Senses
The above are just quick ideas of types of sense experience to illustrate the concept. There's are so many crazy ideas, and ways to brainstorm in groups and conceive, explore and explore great ideas. There are obviously the usual senses; touch, taste, sight, sound, smell. however in reality our senses are so much more, like how you gut senses, or how balance works. Taking time to to research these, things could become very interesting. Also another main line of research is looking further into synthesis, and how the to really explored different mediums in the physical spaces. This is another part I feel could be very interesting, tapping into a range of create resources from other creative proper making festival communities. Looking at projects from burning man festival in the states could be a very good idea in terms of crazy sense based spaces. I've got some interesting friends working within the field of taste experiences which I could get involved, there's making a lot of waves in the art scene and do a lot with the V&A, they do lots of worship based stuff. Bring all kind of media could be real fun, like live painting, VJing, sculpture, dance, cabaret, magic, burlesque but all based on the themes. So every single participant start with the same brief the same inspiration. the richer the range of medium the richer the experience.
Festival structure
The concept needs a range of 9 or so spaces to work, which could mean tents in a field, rooms in an old/new building, or a mix of inside and outside areas which I think would be amazing!! each space could both be a part of the 9 senses (with sound systems) but also serve functions like a room for eating, or another room with the bar, or a main room for tech support, workshops etc. Every part of the experience is then cohesive and connected to senses, and part of the experience. Communal eating could be nice, to both bring people together and to offer good quality local organic food for meat/veg/vegan, possible included in the ticket. having free food would change the vibe, giving a real homely feel. Then drinks sold to allow for bar profit margins, as well as extra like your raw choc friend, and treats and stuff. equally chosen companies could sell equipment as it is still essential a trade show, this again can be thought out to be part of the sense experience. A possible easy solution is to use a holiday camp venue like Butlins. Having a majority of the infrastructure would making things much easier, and allow safe storage for people tech equipment, plus bed for everyone. To me this is practical but in my head I envisage a beautiful old building with all kind of room and areas. However logistics of such a complex festival make need something for structure considering the need for the usual power and amenities.
Workshops
The important thing about worship is that they are inclusion and easy to run. There will be key people involved in running workshop (possible the headline artists), with a host to help facilitate them. But the big idea is that the infrastructure is there to allow anyone to run there own workshop in any of the spaces. Allowing a complete open platform for people to share, create, teach and learn together, with the help of good hosts to help them get started and to encourage. To create a fully open equal platform where suddenly everyone is those amazing personal idea can get the support to develop and share them. Essentially the sea is that by the last day, the festival almost starts to run it's self. This is what happens with burning type events, so I can't see why i wouldn't work with a music/workshop based event like this. Guess on of the mains things is getting enough people involved in planning a workshop to bring, or possibly ono the ticket encouraging everyone to do so if they wish? Another thought is a stick it on night, with everyone handing in one track on the way in (like you mentioned), simple but fun. Then a range of DJd, mixing/mashing those track in ableton.
Fun little idea
5 min party… it happened at nowhere last year. basically every camp there had a sound system and a different style and music. The party started at one place, lasted five mins, then a count down (like new years) then everyone leave that camp as a group and hits the next place for another 5 mins, and so on, collecting people and energy along the way. It was such a great thing to experience, the best party at each camp, almost a show case. Something like this could potentially be done with 9 venues/room, starting with the smaller ones, taking everyone to the biggest, best place for a headline act/party.
Logistics
I've literally just run with ideas, but through experience fully understand the implications of creating something so big ranging form; finical, security, infrastructure, power, equipment, safety, drugs, community, company structure, team communication, marketing, investors etc… the list goes on. However I believe there is a solution that suit all, and with the right communication and positive vibe everything is more thank possible.
Naming
"Ableton Senses"
"Live Spaces"
"Live Sense"
Design
I've got some rough ideas for graphic, basically taking ableto sytle midi device imputes, but adding textures to them in some way. maybe, buttons on sample pad could be different textures, like having grass growing out of buttons, or a big oily cogs at as a dial, or carpeted panels on the device. It could like like a crazy crazy computer device with all kinds of shit making it up, bit like that systhasesia video. It could lend itself really well to poster, tickets, programs etc and especially for the website. and theses card people get with there ticket (to say which sense to create) to could based on it too, maybe a simple digital device made out of metal and plant/carpet.oily meteal etc. It could look really cool, and stand out. some much scope and a very simple concept to put into production.
Website
Another thought with the website is that all of the samples created by people before the event, and all every bit of material create at the event can be opensource, and shared from the website. Turning their website into a resource and creative community, tying into to future events, product launches, gigs, record labels etc. Them all of the creative equity from the event become content for future ideas product, or even a way to feedback people ideas into product development. So many things are possible!!
Tickets
In term of inclusiveness I like tiered ticket costs, split into batch, with the first lot cheapest, second mid range, and third batch the most. Averaging out costs but allow people without as much money to come. Also for following years, a certain amount going into funded arts project which people can apply for.
Contacts
playgroup people (props, theatre, walkabout performers, music, carbert)
decom / nowhere crew (same)
royal ruckus (same)
taste and smell experiences V&A
pete benett - tech PDF music/art connections
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