Ivo Kersmaekers
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Chair, Technology Commission
Report Dec. 2006- Jun 2007
As the technology commission didn’t meet in this period, this report will mainly be about our ongoing projects. Most of the results of the working groups can be found on the website OISTAT Technology.
- Theatre Atlas: added to the website: English, Dutch and French version of the OISTAT theatre atlas template and as other examples the USITT technical rider, the ABTT CAD standards and layer guide. We also developed a power point presentation to explain the workings of the theatre atlas template.
- Production Rider Template: similar to the theatre atlas we will develop a template for a production rider in order to help colleagues to draw up relevant technical information sheets for their productions.
No publications yet as it is still work in progress
- Risk Assessment: we will collect different risk assessment checklists on the website for cross-reference. At the moment on the website: a Belgian example in English and a Polish example in German.
- Costing Forms: we will collect different costing forms on the website for cross-reference. At the moment there is only a Belgian example in English available.
- CEN25: Bert Determan is attending the CEN Workshop ‘Lifting and load-bearing equipment for stages and production areas within the entertainment industry that will result in European Standards. Added to the website is an explanation of the project and the business plan. From correspondence I have received, I’d say the project seems to have slowed down a bit.
- The changing economics and the responsibility of the theatre technician:
Project leader Martin Tschermak asked to stop this project, as he did not feel how he could expand it.
We will still try to collect similar experiences for the benefit of our colleagues.
Added to the website is “Prisoners’ Inventions – interesting technical solutions” by John Mayberry.
- Serbian Pilot Project: our Serbian colleagues made text that can put us on the path to the SPP. Please consult it on our website as I feel this is an important project for the TC and OISTAT in general. As we seem to be moving, we’d like to have some ideas from the GB.
- TC section of the OISTAT Portfolio needed text and pictures:
After consideration from the workgroup, they were provided to the secretariat.
- Scenofest/PQ07: at the TC public meeting we will organise a panel of experienced theatre technicians from all over the world about technical consequences of scenographic design. Although we had no reaction on this proposal we will provide people to do a tour trough the exhibition with groups of scenography students led by a technician, considering the technical aspect of the different designs.
John Mayberry proposed a workshop where a scenography students design a set together with a technical student, keeping budget and practicalities in mind.
The title is: Moments of Surprise
- Newsletters: a newsletter is send out regularly to the TC members, and is published on the website.
Recently the idea has grown to add all the commission chairs to the mailing list, so possible common actions may be detected.
- Future Meetings: the TC did not receive any official invitations until now.
We however received an invitation from UNEAC in Cuba for October 2007, but they can not provide accommodations or meals.
Fritz Schwentker is exploring the possibilities to host a meeting in Texas, USA, but there is no positive news from there at the moment.
Hong Kong is looking for ways to invite the commission in the near future.
Holland promised to host a low budget meeting is we don’t find another host.
PLAN 2008 – 2009
- Co-operation with other commissions:
The TC does not wish to be an island in OISTAT.
Technology is not possible without skilled people, creativity, theatre buildings, communication and reflection to the past.
So collaboration with the education, scenography, architecture, communication and history commissions are in order.
Also these commissions need input from the TC: what skills do our colleagues need, how to incorporate safety and technology in designs, what are technical requirements for theatres, how do we communicate technical specifications about our shows to each other, and how do we archive our work for future reference.
We will start by including the other commission chairs in our newsletter mailing list.
- Increase local value of TC meetings.
The TC will develop ways to provide services to our host organisations by lectures, workshops, be part of a jury and so on for free.
It can also be important to present international guests to local sponsors or companies to give them a chance to expand their contacts.
That way the host organisation can recuperate some of the cost of hosting the TC.
- Develop the TC website
The TC sees the OISTAT website as an important means for communicating and publishing results of projects.
We want to go on developing it and create more publicity around it to generate more visitors.
We will also look for ways to publish our results trough different channels.
- Continue and expand running projects
Most of our projects ask for continuous work and development over a longer period of time.
We will continue them, and evaluate new projects for development.
Updated September 2007
