2025 Architecture Commission Online Meeting, March 7

1.0    ATTENDANCE

1.1    This meeting was held on-line via Zoom.

1.2   The following participated:

OISTAT Head Quarters:
-

Members and Guests:
    Janne Auvinen    Finland
    Kate Burnett    UK
    Joshua Dachs    USA
    Tim Foster    UK (vice-chair)
    Shusaku Futamura    Japan
    Peter Ruthven Hall    UK (vice-chair)
    Louis Janssen    Netherlands
    Wes Jenkins    Canada
    Pu Lin    Taiwan
    Anne Minors    UK
    Torsten Nobling    Sweden (vice-chair)
    Markus Reisinger    Austria
    Mhora Samuel    UK (part)
    David Staples    UK
    Maaike Westinga    Netherlands (chair)
    Selma Goker Wilson    USA
    Jeong-Sik Yoo    Individual-Korea (vice-chair) ‘Ghost’
    Marcello Zagaria    Italy

Apologies:
    None




1.0    Introduction

Maaike introduced the meeting and the topics for discussion. There would be no presentations but instead an exchange of information about future plans.


2.0    OISTAT Use of Basecamp

Selma demonstrated how all commission members can engage with activities using the Basecamp platform. The recording of this meeting offers a helpful reminder.

Each commission has its own page
Please accept the invitation to join, sign in, create a password (invitations will be sent out in a week)
Link direct to Architecture Commission page.
Please set up your own page and add a photo under personal profile and save.
Under ‘notifications’ choose the frequency of e-mails and info you receive.

‘Home’: will lead you to Architecture Commission activities and ‘Projects’
-    Message board – communicate with your choice of commission members
-    To dos – reminder
-    Docs & Files – Minutes of meetings – and discussions about these
-    Chat
-    Schedule
‘Knowledge Sharing’
-    Resources – submit a paper for sharing, create a link and share
Lineup – timeline
Ping – private conversation with one individual
Hey! – wider OISTAT communications
Activities – explains who did what when
My Stuff – reminders and things you did
Find – search
Button ‘XJ’ = jump to other pages (a shortcut menu)
When you upload an item make sure its title is clear so it can be searched. Add your name, date of origin (may be different from the date uploaded) and what is included.


3.0    Sharjah World Stage Design, October 2025 - Two-day Tour of theatres in Sharjah and Dubai



Sharjah - Heart of Sharja (includes Shamsi, the site of the Archictecture Competition)
Sharjah – Sharjah Art Foundation ‘Rain Room’ (installation)
Sharjah – Flying Saucer – if time
Khorfakkan Amphitheatre
Kalba Ice Factory
Dubai Opera House
Dubai The Junction
Dubai La Perle and Performance

Because other commissions are also interested and would like to join, we’ll have to discuss the best 2 days. Our preference is in the schedule below, but it might change. Tuesday 18 March we’ll have a meeting about it and we’ll make a decision.
 

4.0    Sharjah World Stage Design, October 2025 - Interdisciplinary Workshop


We need a provocation for the introduction to the workshop. Who should offer this? The future of theatre, social changes. Dorita Hanna provided this at PQ. Suggestions included: personalizing the Line; a neuroscience conference; the empty space in the desert....
Maaike will reach out to Mona from the Sharjah University Department of Architecture.


5.0     UK Meeting in Manchester and Liverpool, July 2025
Tim Foster introduced the potential of a joint visit with the Association of British Theatre Technicians. David Evans is programming dates for ABTT.
[Simon Harper now chairs the ABTT Theatre Architecture Committee in the UK. Tim has retired in this role after over 30 years].

Please keep the days free if you are interested: travel Wednesday 2 July, 3-5 July for theatre visits, Sunday 6 July travel.

Manchester Royal Exchange
Manchester Home
Manchester Aviva Studios (performance)
Salford Lowry: Lyric, Quary and studio theatres
Liverpool Everyman
Liverpool Olympia
Liverpool 
Prescot ‘Shakespeare North’ Playhouse

There is some exceptional countryside within an hour’s travel from Manchester if you wish to stay a little longer!

Selma, Louis, Time, Maaike, Torsten, Janne, Peter … all expressed an interest.


6.0   Update on TAC

100 registered entries
Deadline for submissions 14 April
Jury has met to discuss judging process. Judging begins in May. Three days have been set aside to review and discuss entries.


7.0    2025 Online Meetings and Presentations

Friday 20 June 2025 15.00-17.00 Central European Time
Friday 19 September 2025 15.00-17.00 Central European Time – online voting for commission chair (Maaike is willing to stand for a second term).
Friday 12 December 2025 15.00-17.00 Central European Time

Maaike requested new presentations of work at future meetings. 
She suggested something from Japan, Shusaku an Wes Jenkins showed interest.
The new Sadler’s Wells East dance academy and theatre in the Olympic Park in London was a suggested project too.


8.0    OISTAT Executive

Please note the following actions are important for your continued participation in the Architecture Commission:

•    Commission Members
All members are requested individually to fill in the form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwnh0KWShYn0VJUfVArgqnMjV7z0MTalrT8n539tOXfFIyog/viewform

•    Basecamp
Commissions use software ‘Basecamp’ as a platform to share information with each other. Only members have access to Basecamp. Selma is setting up Basecamp for the Architecture Commission. Invitations will be sent out to our members.

•    History of Architecture Commission
AC has been asked to write a short history about the Architecture Commission. Long standing member and past chair, Tim Foster will begin the process and others can then contribute.

•    2025 Elections
Election of AC chair will take place during our September on-line Meeting.
Maaike is willing to stand for a second term as chair.
To be able to hand-over to a future chair a period of handover is thought to be desirable.
A member contributing as a vice-chair would be in a good position to take up the role of chair. If you are interested, please put yourself forward as a vice-chair.


9.0    Finding new AC members

Please continue to spread the word and invite colleagues and other interested individuals to participate in the online meetings and AC activities. Proposed theatre visits should be polular with a wider community.


10.0    Future Meetings and Activities

•   18-25 October 2025 Sharjah, Dubai
WSD 2025 and TAC 2025 will be held at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA), United Arab Emirates.
       Interdisciplinary Workshop
       Theatre Architecture Tour

•   2-6 July 2025 Manchester/Liverpool, UK
Outline plan: arrive Thursday, depart Sunday late in June or early July 2025 in north of England where there are some interesting new and older projects to see. This visit would be backed by the ABTT (UK Centre), but travel and accommodation would need to be funded individually.
       Manchester: Royal Exchange, Home, Lowry Aviva Studios
       Liverpool: Everyman, Olympia, and possibly Shakespeare North nearby.
Proposal will be formalised in January for an expression of interest.

•    2026 Greek and Classical Antique Theatres in Turkey
Tim and Selma want to organize a tour in Turkey. Best time is probably late September (for Aspendos Festival) or October (2nd half) because of the weather conditions.
Selma presented a potential route which could include ancient theatres in Ephesus, Priene, (Pamukkale) Hierapolis, Phaselis, Perge and Aspendos from the west coast to the south coast of Turkey. Arrive Izmir airport (Wednesday) and depart Antalya airport (Sunday), potentially planned via Istanbul. Potential performances at Izmir Opera (Wednesday) and Aspendos (festival, if the dates work). Participants would fund their own travel to and from Turkey with a charge made for guide, coach, hotels and entry tickets.
This visit was extremely popular with those attending. A call for interest will go out next year.

•    2027 Finland
Janne hopes to offer a meeting in Finland.

•    2028 Dutch Tour
There’s still a Dutch Tour that never happened. Maaike would like to reorganize this.

Suggestions to increase participation are always welcomed so please assist by raising the profile of the AC in your own country. AC activities are open to anyone with an interest in theatre buildings.

Presentation of work is to be encouraged and should become a more prominent feature of on-line meetings. Please consider this in anticipation of when we next meet.

Notes compiled by Maaike Westinga with Peter Ruthven Hall (from the recording).
For questions, suggestions or to schedule a presentation
maaike@tenbraswestinga.nl / ruthvenh@gmail.com