Education Commission Meeting in conjunction with the World Lighting Fair and International Students’ Participation
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YOKOHAMA 15-17 JUNE 2006
Hosted by OISTAT Centre Japan and World Light Fair
Marina Raytchinova
Chair of Education Commission
Attending:
Australia, Mr. Richard Roberts, individual member
Bulgaria, Ms. Marina Raytchinova, EduCom Chair
Czech Rep., Mr. Petr Matasek
Finland, Mr. Markku Uimonnen
Finland, Ms. Mimmi Resman, guest
Finland, Mr.Teemu Maattanen, guest/student
Germany, Ms. Martemaria Scheunemann
Hong Kong, Ms. LAM TUNG Pui-man Rosie
Hungary, Mr. Árpad Kekesi-Kun
Korea, Ms. Hye Suk Chang
Netherlands, Mr. Sjef Tilly
New Zealand, Ms. Dorita Hannah, individual member
New Zealand, Mr. Andrew Bretelle, guest/student
Sweden, Mr. Anders Larsson
Turkey, Ms. Evcimen Percin
Taiwan, Ms. Wei-Wen Chang, OISTAT Executive Director
Taiwan, Mr. Austin Wang, non-voting member
Taiwan, Mr. Lee-Zen Michael Chien
UK, Ms. Joslin McKinney
USA, Mr. Michael Ramsaur, OISTAT President
USA, Mr. Ryan Fletcher, guest/student
USA, Ms. Polly Ellis, guest
JAPAN, Mr. Hideki Nakajima, host
Education Commission Business Meeting-1
June 15th Thursday, 9:00- 12:00
- Marina Raytchinova, Commission Chair opened the meeting by welcoming the delegates and thanking OISTAT Centre - Japan for the invitation. The meeting agenda was accepted.
- Michael Ramsaur, OISTAT President, provided news from the EC meeting in Ocean Shore. Priority projects for OISTAT are WSD’09, Scenofest’07, Architecture Competition, and New Theatre Words. WSD’09 will be hosted by Korea and held in Seoul. Exact dates will follow. SungChul Kim, newly elected Chair of the Scenography Commission, is in charge of organizing WSD. The format of WSD is still under consideration. The gallery exhibit involves high financial and labor costs as well as problems with packing, mailing, safety and insurance of the works. Therefore it is possible that the exhibit at WSD will focus on digital form of presentation.
- The next World Congress of OISTAT will be held in Seoul, in conjunction with WSD 2009.
- OISTAT Secretariat has moved to its new home in Taipei, Taiwan and a new secretariat team, consisting of Wei-Wen Chang, Executive Director, and Jane Liu, Secretary, is in charge of the OISTAT office. The first installment of funding from the Taiwan Government was received in the beginning of June. OISTAT Executive Director Wei-Wen Chang has provided extraordinary services for the organization of the transition process and the communication with the authorities in Taiwan. Michael thanked Wei-Wen for her dedicated work.
- Wei-Wen Chang explained further about the Secretariat transition. The new OISTAT office in Taiwan is set up already. Jane Liu, OISTAT Secretary works actively on communicating with the centres and updating OISTAT membership database. Online Payment service has been set up on OISTAT Web for paying membership dues with credit card. Wei-Wen would like to direct efforts to improve collaboration with other international cultural organization as well as to attract more Asian organizations to join OISTAT. OISTAT needs to create membership development strategies: create membership packages and offer more incentives to attract new members.
- OISTAT 40th anniversary celebration ceremony will be held in Prague, during PQ’07. Former presidents of OISTAT will be invited to Prague for the celebration.
- Michael Ramsaur explained about the new forms of OISTAT membership. Schools may apply and become associate members. OISTAT needs to open to more organizations and reach more people.
- Michael shared his impressions of the recent congress of ITI in Manila. He gave a brief review of the history of OISTAT - ITI relations and voiced his high appreciation for OISTAT as an organization and it’s significant growth, and the effectiveness of its leadership and administration over the years.
- Michael thinks that OISTAT needs to seek better communication and collaboration with similar international organizations, such as ITI, FIRT, and ELIA. OISTAT should actively pursue funding from sources outside of the organization. OISTAT should initiate projects with artistic and educational value, alone or in cooperation with other NGO. Jennifer Walker, Development Director works for fund raising for OISTAT projects and is available for preparing grants applications.
- Scenography Commission and History and Theory Commission meetings in Israel – Michael Ramsaur reported news about the chairs elections. More information on this is available on the respective commissions pages. The call for candidates for Chair of PPC is open till end of June.
- Wei-Wen raised the need to address how scenography is being documented. She suggested that OISTAT, and particularly the History and Theory Commission, organizes a meeting/symposium dedicated to practices and challenges in documenting scenography.
- Scenofest. Marina Raytchinova reported on the progress of Scenofest preparation. Marina expressed gratitude to the entire Scenofest team for their dedicated work. After the EduCom meeting in the UK the working team met twice in Prague during 2006: in the end of January and in June 8th – 11th. The Theatre Institute Prague actively collaborates in the preparation of Scenofest.
- Information on the web is updated regularly. All available information about registration procedures, workshops, application forms can be found at www.scenofest.org. Marina advised to check Scenofest website frequently and register and apply early.
- Programming: Scenofest programming is in a very advanced stage. About twenty internationally renowned theatre artists have accepted to provide lectures. Pamela Howard has also graciously offered her expertise and help for the Design Excellence program.
- Most workshops are already shaped and workshop leaders are identified. Information is published on the web. More workshops and presentations are needed in the Costume Design area and especially for the New Media part of the program. Marina invited the commission members to come up with proposals for workshops and presentations. She also encouraged them to recommend noted video and new media artists, who would like to share their knowledge with students at Scenofest. Martemaria Sheunemann suggested that we turn to companies - producers and ask if any of them would be interested to sponsor a workshop on video and projection. She gave an example with workshops and events organized by Pandora’s Box. Martemaria volunteered to help with contacts.
- Application procedures. Until now respond to the call for interest is huge. Several delegates expressed concerns that the registration procedure is not enough clear and reported difficulties with downloading and sending the application forms. Sjef Tilly enquired about the meaning of the initial application for Design as Performance. Sjef thinks that confirmation or acceptance of application should be send to schools after the October deadline in order to inform them whether they should continue working on their projects.
Dorita Hannah noted that it is important to guarantee that online registration will work accurately, and students will not be disappointed by mistakes and omissions, when coming to Prague.
Michael Ramsaur explained that in comparison to Scenofest ’03, the application procedure for Scenofest’07 is longer and more complex. Marina underlined that the process of registration will go through several stages and will involve longer and closer communication between the organizers and the applicants. Marina committed to forward to Sean Crowley and Chris van Goethem all recommendations concerning registration and application forms.
Dorita Hannah and Andrew Bretelle intend to bring to Scenofest a performance that includes use of new media, but insurance and transport costs for the technical equipments are significant and they can not cover them. A discussion concerning ways to solve insurance expenses followed and concluded with a suggestion that all participants will share all equipments that they will bring to Scenofest. Scenofest organizers should take care of the preliminary coordination on this.
- Fundraising. Until now Scenofest fundraising efforts have not brought results. Scenofest financial needs are huge and the available funding is limited. The Scenofest team and Jane Liu have prepared Scenofest Funding Flyer that promotes the project and addresses potential sponsors. Marina distributed copies of the funding flyer to all delegates with request to help with identifying and approaching potential Scenofest sponsors and benefactors.
Petr Matasek noted that all Scenofest costs should be clarified by October in order to have realistic budget. Marina said that Babel Tower and Scenofest stage costs need to be decided as soon as possible. Dorita Hannah proposed to use unsustainable and recycled materials for the Scenofest Stage and Babel Tower.
- Unanimous approval of the work on Scenofest was expressed; Marina distinguished the efforts of Sean Crowley and Chris van Goethem.
The meeting was adjourned at 12 am.
Education Commission Business Meeting-2
June 17th Saturday, 9 – 11 am
- Continuation on Scenofest Volunteers. Volunteers are needed in all parts of Scenofest., especially in the areas of new media and video art, technical theatre, stage management, video recording. Marina encouraged the commission members to join and help organize and run Scenofest. Proposals for workshops are also welcome. Contact address: info@scenofest.org
- Petr Matassek explained the planning of PQ space. Scenofest will be located in the Central Hall, while the Schools Exhibit will be in Krijik pavilion. Scenofest planning in the Central hall includes Babel Tower, Scenofest Stage, Scenofest café, Workshops areas. Petr also provided information about the Puppet Design program of presentations and workshops. Detailed information is available at www.scenofest.org
- New Commission Projects. Sjef Tilly reported on the progress of the new EduCom project proposed by him and Ramon Ivars at the meeting in the UK. The aim of the project is to research and explain the various existing models of design programs on European level first and on wider international level as at a second stage. Until now Sjef and Ramon have ensured support from their educational institutions and plan to form a small working group. The process of inventorying of the existing design programs is planned to conclude by Feb 2007.
- Anders Larsson from Sweden noted that this is a huge task and suggested to build on the information that TTT has already collected. He reported on the TTT Leonardo project, that will hold its concluding meeting at PQ’07. The objectives of the project are to explore the exiting levels of professional skills and expertise in the field of technical theatre. Anders proposed to contact Mia Hamalainen from Finland for more information.
- Next EduCom Meetings. There will be non-sponsored meeting of the Education Commission at PQ’07 opened to all teachers attending PQ. Marina reported that there is a tentative invitation from Canada for 2007, in conjunction with CITT annual conference in August. Marina has been working with Kathleen Irwing on preparing the schedule and budget proposal to CITT Governing Board. The proposal has been submitted already and decision is awaited in the next months. Meanwhile the Russian Centre of OISTAT has expressed again it’s intend to invite the commission in 2009 to Moscow.
- Markku Uimmonen confirmed the invitation of Finland for 2008 in Helsinki. The meeting will be hosted by the Theatre Academy, the University of Art and Design, and the Finish Centre of OISTAT. The meeting will be dedicated to Post Graduate studies and research. A discussion followed and shaped a proposal to hold an extra day program of presentations by international PhD students.
- As conclusion of the meeting EduCom Chair Marina Raytchinova expressed on behalf of all delegates– Japan and the organizers of World Light Fair for hosting the Commission. She thanked particularly to Mr. Hideki Nakajima for his extraordinary work in organizing the meeting in Yokohama
- In addition to the working sessions, OISTAT delegates attended World Light Fair Exhibit and Symposium. Students from USA, New Zealand, Finland and Korea attended the meeting and took part in the sessions together with their professors. This was the first EduCom meeting that involved international students participation and joint presentations of professors and students in the open sessions. This is a new trend that we would like to explore and develop in our next meetings.
- The side program of the meeting included traditional Kabuki Theatre performance and back stage tour of the New National Theatre. We experienced the thoughtful and warm Japanese hospitality and touched to the unique Japanese traditions and culture. The meeting in Japan was a rewarding experience. Many thanks to OISTAT Centre –Japan, and to Hideki Nakajima, main organizer if the meeting.
Minutes submitted by Marina Raytchinova.
Appendix
Open sessions OISTAT Education Commission/OISTAT Centre - Japan
Presenters:
- Yasuo Okuhata, Japan - Lighting Design for Opera theatre
- Dorita Hannah and Andrew Bretelle (student), New Zealand - Education in Projection Design
- Markku Uimonen and Teemu Maattanen (student), Finland - Virtual Scenography for Live Performance
- HIRATA TOMONE, Japan - Theatre Education in High School in Japan
- Rosie Lam Tung, Hong Kong - Pedagogical Approaches in Theatre Arts Foundation Education
- Joslin McKinney, UK - Teaching Scenography in a Research Environment
- Park Onkyon, Japan - Design and Theatre Architecture
- Austin Wang, Taiwan - Scenography in Taiwan
- Otsuki Atsushi, Japan - Current state of the theatres in Japan and Italy
WLF Forum ”Relation of Lighting and Stage Structure of Opera House”
At Anex Hall in Pacifico YOKOHAMA
Moderator: Mituru Ishii, Scenographer, OISTAT Japan
Presenters:
- Michael Ramsaur, Professor and lighting designer, Stanford University -“Lighting for Musical Theatre and Opera House”
- Masahiro Arita, Engineer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry -“Opera House of Beijing”
- Hisayuki Ito, Technical crew, New National Theatre, Tokio, - “Structure of Lighting and Stage of Opera House”
