May 28th 2016 – 14:00h
Union of Theatre Workers of the Russia,
Strastnoy Boulevard 10, Moscow
download the meeting minute in PDF
Chair: Romana Bošković, Serbia
Attendees:
Loren Schreiber, USA, Vice Chair
Louis Janssen, Netherlands, OISTAT President
Bert Determann, Netherlands, Executive Committee Member
Michael Ramsaur, USA, Executive Committee Member
Alexander Yakovlev, Russia, Delegate, Russian OISTAT Center
Ivo Kersmaekers, Belgium, Delegate STEPP
Laura Van Haperen, Netherlands, Delegate, VPT
John Mayberry, Canada, Delegate, CITT
Heikki Orn, Finland, Delegate, Finish OISTAT Center
Masaji Ito, Japan, Delegate, Japan OISTAT Center
Bruno Groesel, Austria, Delegate, OETHG
Joaqin Aranda, Phillipines, Delegate, PATDAT
Radek Fall, Poland, Delegate, Poland OISTAT Center
Gerard van Hezewyk, Canada, member, CITT
Liu Xingling, China, President of CISD/Chinese OISTAT Centre
Elena Drevaleva, Russia, Member, Russian OISTAT Center
Elana Tsulaya, Russia, Member, Russian OISTAT Center
Inna Mirzoyan, Russia, Member, Russian OISTAT Center
Sergey Vorobyev, Russia, Member, Russian OISTAT Center
Jennie Yeung, USA, Member, USITT
Minutes – John Mayberry
Regrets:
Andreas Bickel, Germany, Vice Chair
Jose Antonio Prades Hung, Cuba
1. Welcome from Chair, Romana Bošković and Introductions
2. Appoint Meeting Secretary – John Mayberry
3. Minutes of 2015 Stockholm meeting – Approved
4. Review of agenda for meeting – John Mayberry and Louis Janssen added agenda items – Approved
5. Topics:
5.1 Reports from OISTAT – Louis Janssen, President
- The Executive Committee (EC) met three weeks earlier in Taipei.
- Plans for World Stage Design 2017 in Taipei are on track.
- The EC dissolved all “Working Groups”. This is a positive move, not negative. Originally conceived as working groups for specific projects, they had become a kind of sub-commission, not necessarily democratically constituted and without oversight by the EC. Any commission is still free to form a Working Group for a specific project with a clear goal, upon approval by the EC. The commission chair will have oversight of the Working Group, and as a member of the Governing Board (GB) will report on the group’s activities to the EC. Another benefit of this structure is that OISTAT headquarters will be able to keep track of what the Working Groups are doing, and will be able to contact members of the groups. There will be an official letter explain this.
5.2 Reports from Theatre Timeline Group (TTG) – Ivo Kersmaekers
- The TTG was dissolved.
- The TTG re-formed, under the combined oversight of the Research, Technology, and Education Commissions, and it meets often.
- The current projects of the TTG were presented at the previous day’s session.
- It was suggested that the TTG presents its projects at WSD 2017 in Taipei.
- The Chair expressed support for the work of the TTG, and advocated for continuing support, especially considering the fact that it works across several commissions.
5.3 Technical Invention Prize (TIP) – Loren Schreiber
- TIP was first given at PQ 2011, when Ivo Kersmaekers led the project.
- TIP 2017 will be similar to the first version.
- The first announcement was made at the 2016 USITT conference.
- The website will be live soon.
- There will be a gallery exhibit of approx.13 entries at WSD 2017 on posterboards.
- The winners of the USITT Tech Expo will automatically be entered for TIP.
- The judges will be: Laura Van Haperen, Ivo Kersmaekers, Loren Schreiber, Romana Boskovich, Chin-yuan Eugene Yang, and possibly Andreas Bickel.
- The actual devices for the three top entries should be on display at WSD.
- Loren Schreiber is pursuing some ideas for sponsorship of a cash prize.
- There will be articles published about the devices.
- Perhaps the first TIP book can be put on the TIP website.
- Deadlines for submissions will be in December 2016, with decisions made by March 30, 2017, and notifications by May 1, 2017.
- Suggestion to take brochures to trade shows, etc., and publicise TIP to schools, universities, etc.
- Headquarters can send an article and announcement to all centres for inclusion in their magazines and/or newsletters.
- The Exhibited entries will need to be translated into Mandarin.
5.4 International Standards Project – Laura van Haperen
- The International Standards Survey 2016 will be available online in September 2016.
- Laura van Halperen will ask Headquarters to distribute a link to the survey in the OISTAT Newsletter.
- It was suggested that Laura write a short article for Headquarters to send to all centres for inclusion in their magazines and/or newsletters.
5.5 Proposals for WSD 2017, Taipei
- Chair reported that the TC has been asked to propose activities, etc. for WSD 2017, and members were asked to consider what workshops, presentations, lectures, etc. they might lead.
- Suggestions: (there should be approx. 8 offerings from the TC)
– Presentation of TIP entries and winner
– Loren Schreiber to talk about shipboard theatrical technology, possibly with ship tour.
– Presentation of Timeline projects.
– Round table discussion of standards.
– Mayberry and Determann could offer a Technicians’ Guide to the WSD entries.
- The Chair will put together a call for suggestions, with a deadline.
- Eugene Yang will have students there who can help.
- It was suggested that members might look to universities to help with funding.
6. Location of 2017 and 2018 TC meeting
- Serbia may host the 2017 meeting. The Chair and Miljana Zeković (OISTAT EC member) are trying to organize an OISTAT Centre in the countries formerly in Yugoslavia.
- The Chair will announce in September 2016 the dates of the 2017 meeting (possibly end of May, or Sep./Oct.).
- There is a possibility (unofficial as yet) of a meeting in Vienna at the end of October, 2018, in combination with an exhibition of stage design. This might include a trip to Linz to see a new music theatre. This would be an opportunity to promote OISTAT in Austria.
7. Good practice for TC meetings
- A discussion was held on how to prepare to host an annual commission meeting. Suggestions:
– The TC should give something to the hosts.
– The hosts should spell out any visa requirements.
– The hosts should have a timeline to follow. The Chair will prepare this template.
– This Moscow meeting was very well arranged, with good communication with Headquarters.
– Meetings should be as visible as possible, with great participation by locals, with locally important content.
– The TC should generate something written after each meeting, to increase the profile of the TC and OISTAT.
– Any other suggestions for improving meetings should be sent to the Chair.
8. New Projects and Proposals
- June 5 is the deadline for articles in the next OISTAT newsletter. Any submissions should be sent to the Chair.
- Members should help with the “branding” of OISTAT by advertising events as OISTAT events. This does not need permission from the EC.
- Fritz Schwentker is stepping down as the primary voting delegate for USITT, and Loren Schreiber is now the primary delegate, and also the new Chair of the International Committee of USITT.
9. Cuba Theatre Equipment Project Report – John Mayberry
The OISTAT project to send a shipping container full of donated surplus theatrical tools and equipment from Toronto to Santiago de Cuba was finally completed. The container shipped on May 19.
10. Restoration of the Bourla Theatre Report – Louis Jansen
Teater Advies has presented a proposal for the restoration of the Bourla Theatre, in Antwerp, and Louis Jansen presented drawings, photographs, and renderings of the design.
The meeting was then adjourned.
