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University of Minnesota School of Music, Noel Zahler, Director Announces 2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art Douglas Geers, Director West Bank Arts Quarter, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus February 22-26

CALL FOR COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, and PRESENTERS Submission Deadline: September 30, 2005 (postmark)

The University of Minnesota School of Music is proud to present the 2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art, February 22-26. The festival will be held on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota (USA) and at the Walker Center for Art, Minneapolis. Now in its fourth year, the Spark Festival showcases the newest groundbreaking works of digital music and art. Last year’s festival included innovative works by over one hundred international composers and artists, including featured guest artists Philippe Manoury and DJ Spooky. Leading scholars and technology specialists also presented papers relating to new technology and creativity. Audiences for the concerts, installations, and lectures last year totaled approximately 2,000 people.

Spark invites submissions of works incorporating new media, including electroacoustic concert music, experimental electronica, theatrical and dance works, installations, kinetic sculpture, artbots, video, and other non-traditional genres.

Spark also invites submission of scholarly papers on technical and aesthetic subjects related to the creation of new media art and music. All accepted papers will be published as part of the Spark proceedings. Please see http://spark.cla.umn.edu/archive.html for a PDF copy of the Spark 2005 proceedings and program.

MUSIC SUBMISSIONS Music submissions will be accepted in four categories:

1. Concert works: Electroacoustic works with and without performers.

Performance venues will accommodate 2-8 channel works and works with video. Although there is no strict limit of duration, pieces of fifteen minutes or less are encouraged. Note that Spark 2006 will feature guest performers Maja Cerar (violin) and Brian Sacawa (saxophone). Works written for solo violin and solo saxophone with digital music and/or images are especially welcome. Other instruments will be available, and details on available performing forces will be posted on the Spark website with the submission forms.

2. "Club" works: Experimental electronic performances in a "club- style" venue.

Performers of various styles will be considered, including those influenced by IDM, hip-hop, glitch, jazz, and etc. Selected performers will be given sets of 15-30 minutes. Performance venue will accommodate stereo sound and video.

3. Installations: [See "Art Works" below]

4. Music with video [See “Art Works” below]

ART WORKS Submissions will be accepted in three categories:

1. Installations and gallery works: A number of installation and

gallery exhibitions will be mounted in various spaces on the UMN campus, including the Weisman Art Museum. Please include technical and space requirements with submission. Installations may be physical objects, video and/or sound projections, or combinations thereof. Artists may be required to provide some or all of necessary technology to mount installations.

2. Radio: Spark Radio is a new addition for the 2006 festival,

initiated and curated by Abinadi Meza, a Minneapolis-based artist. Submissions for Spark Radio may include sound art, samplism, field recordings, turntablism, pirate radio, sonic deconstructions, and other transmissions. Please submit on CD or CD-ROM.

3. Video: Experimental video works will be screened at multiple Spark

events. Videos featuring digital music compositions (two-channel or Dolby 5.1) are welcome, but this is not required. Although there is no strict limit of duration, pieces of twelve minutes or less are encouraged. Please submit on DVD or VHS (NTSC).

4. Theater/Dance: A number of theatrical and dance works

incorporating new technologies will be programmed at Spark 2006, with a special interest in shorter works that can be integrated into programs with music and video works. In addition, although not confirmed as of this writing, we hope to produce at least one performance in a dance theater with video projection and an Internet 2 connection. Please include performance venue and technical requirements with submissions.

PAPERS Technical papers, lecture/demonstration, and workshop submissions that deal with topics relating to creating arts and music with new technology are encouraged, including intermedia composition, performance, human-computer interaction, software/hardware development, aesthetics, and history. Paper and lecture/demonstration submissions will be accepted in two categories: Standard length: Twenty-minute presentation, allowing for five minutes of Q/A. Short length: A feature unique to the Spark festival is Symposium Fast Forward, a presentation of five to ten-minute presentations followed by five to ten minutes of Q/A. The idea of Symposium Fast Forward is to create a venue where ideas and projects may be presented succinctly with time following for discussion and brainstorming. Both students and professionals are encouraged to submit presentations of this type.

Standard submissions should consist of a two-page abstract with bibliography. Short length submissions should submit a 1-2 paragraph abstract with bibliography. Camera-ready papers will be due on November 1, 2005.

Individuals may submit a maximum of one paper and one lecture/ demonstration, and these will be submitted online. More information about the submission process will be available soon on the Spark 2006 website when the online submission procedure has been activated. All accepted papers will be published as part of the Spark proceedings.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Applicants are invited to submit one work per category in up to three categories for consideration. All applicants must complete an online submission form on the Spark Festival website and include their submission number(s) with any physical media sent via postal mail. The submissions website will be at http://spark.cla.umn.edu/ submissions.html and will be activated in late July. More details about the submission process will be available on the Spark 2006 website when the online submission procedure has been activated.

Regarding music and other performance works: Performing resources will be drawn from the University of Minnesota, although applicants are welcome to provide their own performers if desired. More information about available performers will be posted on http:// spark.cla.umn.edu when the online submission procedure has been activated.

Composers and artists whose works are selected for inclusion are strongly encouraged to attend the festival. Scholars whose papers or demonstrations are accepted will be required to attend Spark to deliver their presentation.

TECHNICAL DETAILS Selected works will be announced by November 1, and travel and accommodations information will be posted on http://spark.cla.umn.edu by the same date.

Submission deadline is September 30 (postmark). More information and the online submissions procedure will be posted soon on the Spark 2006 website at http://spark.cla.umn.edu. Questions can be directed to the Spark hosts at sparkfst@umn.edu.