Dear community,
I'd like to present Weimar as an applicant to host the Pure Data convention 2011 to you all.
Who we are: The Bauhaus-University and the Liszt School of Music are jointly organizing the convention. Responsible Organizers will be Max Neupert of the chair Design of Medial Environments in the Media Art & Design Programme of the Universitiy and {name to put here will be official on monday after meeting} of the chair Electroacoustic Composition and Sounddesign at the Studio for electroacoustic Music of the Liszt School. A team of students will take responsibility for some aspects of planning and realization.
When: The convention is scheduled from Monday the 8th to Sunday the 14th of August 2011. Please highlight this in your calendars right now!
Programme: In the tradition of the previous installments of the convention we will feature an academic conference, workshops and master-classes, concerts and performances and an exhibition. The conference will be in the mornings from tuesday to friday and will feature paper presentations of a soon to be released open call. Workshops will be presented in conjunction with the Bauhaus Summer School and will feature parallel sessions in the after-noons in different levels and interests. Concerts will take place depending on their nature either in the exquisitely equipped Studio or in a more club like environment tba. Exhibition space will be arranged according to the the works selected by a committee of curators and community members. I've met with members of the Berlin Pd community yesterday and we discussed the possibility to feature a closing event of the convention in Berlin.
Collaborations: The convention seeks to collaborate with the established local institutions as much as possible. The festival for new music will offer opportunities for cooperation. A local community radio will feature a platform for publicity as well as for experiments with this medium (think of using the radio to open a feed-back channel (literal and figurative speaking) to a program or controlling devices in the city through audio signal over the radio). The townhall features a porcelain carillon which can be controlled by midi (think of procedural compositions for this instrument or interactive works controlling the bells through phones). A soon to be inaugurated one million euro organ will be installed in a catholic church, owned by the Liszt School - this instrument is midi capable as well and could be used for a concert evening. We also seek collaboration with IOSONO a company from nearby Erfurt who develops and produces wavefield synthesis systems for a hands-on in sound spacialization. I have also talked to Electronic Arts and Reality Jockey to become partners for this event. This just to give you a few ideas on what we have in mind.
Community: If you are eager to join us organizing this, from making coffee to taking responsibility for a whole section of it: Great! Now is the time to get in touch with me.
Money: In addition to my work, the University will cover for another small contract and select students involved will get a little expense allowance. The Liszt School will sponsor tech equipment and the space. The Bauhaus Summer School will promote and fund the workshops. There is no money (yet) to promise travel and lodging for the participants, nor any other production costs, but we have a few applications for funding in the pipeline. The funding rally has started, any support is welcome. Write your application to your arts council now, we'll be happy to support you with papers, invitations etc.
The city: Weimar is a 65.000 inhabitants city in the state of Thuringia, in central Germany, about half way between Frankfurt (Germany's airport hub) and Berlin. Weimar is a cultural city and a mayor tourist destination, offering countless places of interest. Goethe, Schiller and and Herder have created the Weimar Classicism through their legacy, Nietzsche and Liszt have lived here (Weimar celebrates Liszts 200th birthday this year). The iconic movement of the modernism - the Bauhaus - was founded in Weimar and the original buildings still exist, hosting the University which proudly extends the historic Bauhaus' tradition. The painful and dark side of german history has left unrepairable scars in the cities vicinity: the concentration camp Buchenwald stands for the systematic extinction of the european jews. Close to this site the soviets built a memorial in gigantic dimensions and a martial aesthetic which has an eerie affinity with the fascist style.
Accomodation: We've made a deal with a friendly hostel offering accommodation and kitchen access for less than 10 EUR per night. Comfort Lodging is also available, as well as free accommodation in students homes. Weimar is one of the cheaper places in Germany compared to Hamburg or Munich, but booking for August needs to be done well in advance: it is tourist season.
Upates: http://www.uni-weimar.de/medien/wiki/Pure_Data_convention_2011