What is TEDxTransmedia 2012?

tedxtransmedia:

WEkids logo

This year’s TEDxTransmedia challenges speakers to look at transmedia entertainment with the fresh eyes of Internet Natives, a younger generation growing up with interactive technologies as a natural part of their lives. 

The theme - WEkids: Dreamers, Geeks, Mindshifters - encourages speakers and participants to consider and present ‘ideas worth spreading’ with the unbridled spirit of youth and the insight of the technologically native.

TEDxTransmedia founder Nicoletta Iacobacci said: “The theme is inspired by the concept of the inner child, that one who has infinite strength and believes he or she is invincible, the one that is stubborn in choices and laughs with every means possible, the risk taker, the rebel, the one who doesn’t abide by the rules because he or she hasn’t learnt them yet. That’s the spirit I want at TEDxTransmedia this year.

“An inner child, if set free, can be a rescuer and an ally, someone with charisma and the bewitching power of ingenuity. The child is precisely The Dreamer, The Geek and The Mindshifter. The Dreamer because he or she can, like Dorothy, see over the rainbow; the Geek because he or she is ‘into stuff’ and the Mindshifter because when you combine the ability to dream with the consistency and depth of a geek’s knowledge you can change people, cultures, environments and lives.”

As part of the WEkids aim, Internet Natives will be given an opportunity to present their ideas to help inspire discussion and excitement about the possibilities of Transmedia. 

Their contribution will be an important part of a conference featuring 15 high-profile speakers that include transmedia and entertainment professionals and are set to be announced in the coming week.

Innovators and volunteers are busy organising the event, which will take place in Rome on September 28 in the MAXXI Museum.  

The TED conference is a yearly gathering of people passionate about the power of ideas. Thinkers and storytellers explain their passion to a captivated audience and all talks are recorded and made available for free online. TED Talks range on topics from the philosophy of happiness, to solutions to the global energy crisis, to education reform, to musical, poetic and dance performances. 

Read More

Something Perfectly Innocent at Anywhere Theatre Festival.

‘Something Perfectly Innocent’ (http://anywherefest.com/blog/2012/03/innocent/) is a Internet based theatre performance taking place between Thursday the 10th of May and Monday 14th of May 2012 as part of the Anywhere Theatre Festival (http://anywherefest.com/). The performance is free to be part of and all you need to do to be involved is follow the central character Claude Nixon on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/claude_nixon) 

The performance centers around Claude Nixon a twenty something an international traveller who likes collecting vinyl and bespoke and individual collectors items.  Claude is gearing up for a move to another a international city, however as soon as he arrives his life is thrust into a whole manner of different directions as he comes terms with the city he has moved to.  With no fixed Internet at his new residence, all the action takes place on a mobile device as he blogs, photographs and records his experiences on his Iphone. The result is a never ending stream of incidents, tales and events which no one can quite believe.  The city pushes Claude to the limit and starts to ask him so very deep questions…

The performance takes place over 5 days from Thursday the 10th of May until Monday the 14th of May 2012 and is free to be part of. To be involved all you need to do is to follow the central character: Claude Nixon on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/claude_nixon) and sit back and enjoy the action!  All the activities within the performance take place on Twitter.  There will be links to Pinterest, Audioboo, and Path so you will need to keep your eyes pealed so as not to miss any important information!.

The performance has been developed from .  Firstly a fascination around how to use social and mobile technologies within the theatrical landscape and the emerging field of ‘transmedia’ and how we can interact and be involved with new audiences.   Secondly experimentation between different art forms, exploring how photography can relate to online storytelling, how live performance can relate to technology, what role does theatre have in relation to the changing world of technology?.  

I am influenced a lot by the Film Noir genre particularly in its visual style, narrative and character development. Below are some examples of films that have been inspirations:

‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3wjJcuGsVE

‘The Big Sleep’ (1946)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjJlBnfyiI4

‘LA Confidential’ (1997) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nnFof4KpKY

‘Sin City’ (2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8r11aVJy78

This is the third online performance I have curated following on from:

‘Indemnity parts I & II’ (2011) - An online and real world performance that followed the central character Walter Daniel online, through text messages, emails and photographs as he grapples with a fem fatale and an insurance claim that goes wrong.  

The performance premiered at Contact Theatre in Manchester as part of the ‘Lost and Found’ Festival, to find out more information please click here: http://contactmcr.com/whats-on/956-lf11-indemnity-part-1-part-2/

‘The Darkened City’ (2011) - A Film Noir inspired photography exhibition and online performance that brought together social media, photography, emails and text messages.

The performance  premiered at the Process at Play Arts festival at Lancaster University in September 2011, to find out more information please click here:

http://news.lancs.ac.uk/Web/News/Pages/Fresh-talent-at-free-arts-festival.aspx