Rise of the Technaturgs
A Workshop for performance makers.
What is a technician? What is a dramaturg? What is a Technaturg?
I have coined the term technaturg (technician/dramaturg) based on practical exploration of being a performance maker who often is implementing and operating tech.
The workshop will offer a perspective on what it means to be a technaturg, some basic technical skills and some basic dramaturgical skills with the ultimate aim of getting performance makers to think about tech from different perspectives when creating performance work.
I have been working as a performance maker for over 10 years, sometimes as a performer, sometimes as a technician, sometimes a dramaturg, sometimes as other things. Performance maker is a term that seems to cover most bases: making performance and making performances happen. This is a workshop for anyone in the performance making world: performers, directors, dramaturgs, technicians, operators, light designers, sound designers, set/costume designers, producers.
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Details
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5 hour physical workshop.
What is a Technician? What is a Dramaturg? What is a Technaturg?
I have coined the term Technaturg (technician/dramaturg) based on practical exploration of being a professional performance maker implementing tech.
The workshop will offer a perspective on what it means to be a Technaturg, some basic technical skills and some basic dramaturgical skills with the ultimate aim of getting performance makers to think about tech from different perspectives when creating performance work. When I refer to tech, I refer to the basic technical elements found in most theatre spaces: lighting, PA systems, Audion/Visual elements.
I have been working as a performance maker for over 10 years, sometimes as a performer, sometimes as a technician, sometimes a dramaturg, sometimes as other roles. Performance maker is a term that seems to cover most bases: making performance and making performances happen.
This is a workshop for anyone in the performance making world: performers, directors, dramaturgs, technicians, operators, light designers, sound designers, set/costume designers, producers. The workshop is open to those who might want to think about their skills
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Methods
The workshop will be divided into 4 strands: (Case Studies, Exercises, Tools, Musings)
Case Studies
Examples taken from my experiences working on practical projects as a Technaturg, these case studies offer concrete examples of how I have developed technaturgical skills and applied them to real-world productions.
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Exercises
Physical exercises will get participants in the workshop to think with their minds and bodies. These exercises will form the core of the workshop and allow participants to weave in their own experiences and curiosities into the role of Technaturg. After each exercise, we will feed back and respond, keeping a sense of dialogue between participants.
Tools
I will give a basic introduction to tools such as QLAB and light design software. These are tools that are useful to anyone making performance and give participants tangible skills to use elsewhere.
Musings
These are small, intimate responses I have written about different aspects of Technaturgy. It feels important to balance concrete examples and real-world skills poetic responses. These stand as small reminders that performance making is an artform and subjectivity, curiosity and passion are vital.
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More information can be found here.
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