OISTAT Scenography Commission Meeting
Stockholm, Sweden 2008
Minutes of two meetings:
Meeting 1 – Saturday 14 June, Chapman Boat Hotel, Skeppsholmen, Stockholm
Meeting 2 – Monday 16 June, Dramatic Institute, Stockholm
Present:
Bangladesh / Faiz / Zahir / Individual MemberBelgium / Jerome / Maeckelbergh / Voting Delegate
Belgium / Markus / Reisinger / Non-Voting Delegate
Belgium / Rita / Geerts / Non-Voting (CWG)
Brazil / Rosane / Muniz Rocha / Voting (CWG)
Canada / Elizabeth / Asselstine / Voting (LDWG)
China / Ping / Lu / Non-Voting
Czech Republic / Jan / Benes / Non-Voting
Czech Repuplic / Simona / Rybakova / Voting (CWG)
Finland / Reija / Hirvikoski / Voting (SC Chair-Elect)
Finland / Marja / Uusitalo / Non-Voting (CWG)
Hungary / Ildiko / Balla / Voting
India / Nissar / Allana / Guest
Japan / Ichiro / Takada / Voting
Japan / Mitsugi ‘Mike’ / Kunisada / Non-Voting
Japan / Kazue / Hatano / Non-Voting (CWG, Vice Head)
Kenya / John / Njoroge / Guest
Netherlands / Henk / van der Geest / Non-Voting (LDWG, Head)
Netherlands / Peter / de Kimpe / Voting
Phillippines / Edwin J. / Lamarca / Non-Voting–first meeting only
Phillippines / Federico R. / Ancheta / Non-Voting–first meeting only
Phillippines / Rolando / de Leon / Voting (CWG)
Romania / USA / Nic / Ularu / Non-Voting (CWG)
South Korea / Sung Chul / Kim / Voting (SC Chair)
Serbia / Miodrag / Tabacki / Voting (5.4 S.WG, Head)
Sweden / Sunniva / Thelestam / Voting
Taiwan / Mang Chao ‘Austin’ / Wang / Voting
Taiwan / Wei-Wen / Chang / OISTAT Executive Director
Turkey / Evcimen / Percin / Voting
Uganda / Augustine / Bazaale / Individual Member
UK / Fiona / Watt / Non-Voting
UK / Peter Ruthven / Hall / Voting
UK / Steven / Brown / Non-Voting (SWG, Vice Head)
USA / Jason / Ducat / Non-Voting (SWG)
USA / Laura / Crow / Voting (CWG, Head)
USA / Michael / Ramsaur / OISTAT President
USA / Richard / Thomas / Non-Voting (SWG, Head)
USA / Virginia / Vogel / Non-Voting (CWG)
1.0 Welcome and Opening Remarks
SungChul Kim, Chair, welcomed members and guests to the Scenography Commission meeting. He was particularly pleased to introduce delegates from Uganda and Kenya and from the new OISTAT centre in Brazil. He stressed that for all the important things to happen in the name of OISTAT across the world, we need to meet regularly face-to-face. Also, the organisation needs to live in our hearts and minds both here in Sweden and when we return to our homes.
2.0 Approval of the Agenda
2.1 Review of Agenda
· It was agreed that Sunday’s meeting should become a joint workshop with the Architectural Commission.
· It was requested that PQ 2011 and Set Design Working Group were added to the agenda.
2.2 OISTAT Notices
· Michael Ramsaur (USA), OISTAT President, reported from the OISTAT Executive Committee and Governing Board meetings in Bregenz in May 2008. He stated that the activities of OISTAT should benefit everyone - students and professionals alike – and should therefore enhance the opportunities for life-long learning for all.
· Scenofest at PQ 2011 is provisionally titled ‘Ship of Fools’. It will include site-specific performances.
· There will be a new architectural competition established for PQ 2011.
· The Publication and Communications Commission will continue to publish the monograph series: Alan Neih (Taiwan) will follow the one on Jean-Guy Lecat (France) published in 2007.
· Eric Fielding (USA) and Peter McKinnon (Canada) intend to publish the next three books on World Stage Design in the series:
· World Scenography 1975-1990
· World Scenography 1991-2005
· World Scenography 2005-2015
· If you are interested in supporting these publications, please attend the Publications and Communications Commission meeting in Belgrade in September 2008. There will also be an election for the new Chair of the commission.
· There are two OISTAT summer workshops in 2008:
· Cardiff, Wales: Jean-Guy Lecat’s (France) ‘The Essential Performance Space’ is running concurrently with this meeting, 11-16 June.
· Taipei, Taiwan: ‘Ghost Festival in Taiwan’, 13-21 August 2008. Wei-Wen Chang (Taiwan), OISTAT Vice President and Executive Director, added a short report and beautiful visual presentation on the Asia Meeting. Details at www.oistat.org.
· World Stage Design 2009, Seoul, Korea was introduced and is discussed later in these minutes.
· Revisions and additions to New Theatre Words – which is 20 years old – are underway and will be extensively available on the website with a search facility. There is also a project underway to create an international technical theatre guide. This item is reviewed in greater detail later on.
· There will be an election for new OISTAT Executive Committee at the World Congress in Seoul in September 2009. Nominations are welcomed for these roles.
· Membership is expanding. There is a new category of ‘Associate’ open to schools and businesses. There are two new member associations covering Europe and Asia which enable individuals to participate in group activities where there are not already representative national centres. There is a new OISTAT Centre in Brazil and one covering East Africa is being encouraged. There is also individual friends’ membership of OISTAT.
· Prompt payment of subscriptions (‘dues’) is appreciated!
3.0 Review Minutes of 2007 Scenography Commission Meeting in Prague
The minutes of this meeting on 17 June 2007 were not presented. Mention was made of the Honourable Scenographers presentation at the Scenographers’ Forum.
4.0 OISTAT Scenography Commission Meeting Events
4.1 OISTAT World Congress in Seoul, Korea
· The OISTAT World Congress and commission meetings will be held on 18 September 2009 prior to World Stage Design 2009 (19-30 September 2009).
4.2. World Stage Design 2009, Seoul, Korea
· SungChul Kim (Korea), Director of WSD 2009, introduced his proposals for World Stage Design 2009. These are based on his experience of operating KOSTAT’s (Korean Centre) bi-annual expo.
· Key Dates are:
· July 2008 - website goes live – www.wsd2009.com
· 31 December 2008 – deadline for entries to WSD.
· 31 January 2009 – announcement of the selection for 3-D exhibits by the international jury.
· 31 March 2009 – deadline for arrival of hi-resolution digital work actual exhibits for the physical WSD gallery exhibition in Seoul.
· 19-30 September 2009 – World Stage Design exhibition in Seoul, Korea.
· Entries may be of a maximum of 10 images, submitted digitally. One or more productions may be included within this limit.
· Discussion suggested that unrealised projects should not be included; i.e. all designs need to have been presented in performance in front of a live audience. Work by students would only be eligible under this condition.
· The exhibition will include entries for set, costume, lighting and sound design. Heads of Working Groups may comment on the best format for submissions. Working Groups therefore need to consult before offering guidance to SungChul Kim.
· The physical exhibition may be only 20-40 exhibits; but all exhibits will be represented digitally.
· A programme of workshops will be offered alongside the exhibition.
· An exhibition of costumes and designs by Rien Bekkers (Netherlands) may be presented at the same time.
4.3 Other Activities: Prague Quadrennial
· Simona Rybakova (Czech Republic) reported on PQ2007 and introduced proposals for PQ 2011. The new title will be International Exhibition of Performance Design andSpace.The current thinking is that a new title such as ‘Performing Arts and Space’ will enable architecture and scenography to merge more easily; when separated from scenography, previous architectural exhibits had been less successful.
· There will be space for ‘New Countries’ to be represented through a display of the work of individual representatives through expositions of individual countries, live lectures and presentations, and also in the pavilions organized for individual continents or regions by Theatre Institute.
· The central hall has been reserved for a light exhibition. (The Central Hall will contain several performance venues to be controlled by the Theatre Institute in Prague.)
· Scenofest will have equal standing but will be relocated to other spaces within the halls. (Scenofest will be held in the building directly behind the main exhibition hall where the Student Exhibits were housed for PQ 2007)
· Comments are welcome from everyone but PQ organisers have requested that these should be channelled through OISTAT Governing Board or Executive Committee. Please contact your commission chair to express your view that will be presented to OISTAT GB/EC. (Reija Hirvikoski will be the Chair of the Scenography Commission at that time and she welcomes suggestions at. She will send suggestions on to Cindy Limauro, the head of Scenofest 2011 ()
· For Scenofest/PQ Communications -
4.4 Other Activities: OISTAT Databases
New Theatre Words
Jerome Maeckelbergh (Belgium) demonstrated his development of the New Theatre Words website. Any item may be searched by word, letter or picture. This is a very impressive undertaking and will be available on-line shortly.
Theatre Atlas
Likewise, the structure of an international database of performing arts venues around the world has been determined and new entries and submissions are being sought for it to be representative. There will be opportunities for advertising and therefore generating income for OISTAT activities.
Both these items will be discussed and developed at the PCC meeting in Belgrade, 16-17 September 2009.
5.0 Reports of the Scenography Commission Working Groups
5.1 Sound Working Group – Rick Thomas (USA), Head
· The group met in Stockholm on 15.6.08. The meeting co-ordinated Skype participation from those not able to be present. Rick introduced problems with travel costs for participants. The group reaffirmed a prior decision to hold annual meetings regionally with Skype links, and with major meetings at PQ and WSD.
· The group agreed a revised format for WSD 2009 based on that adopted for WSD 2005 (Toronto). This has been forwarded to SungChul Kim for inclusion in WSD 2009 website. Sound Curator: Jethro Z. Joaquin (Phillippines).
· Participation in Scenofest: will be smaller than 2007 but quality will be maintained.
· The new Head was elected from 1 July 2008: Steven Brown (UK).
· Vote of thanks to Rick Thomas for his work in establishing the Sound Working Group.
5.2 Costume Working Group – Laura Crow (USA), Head
· Met in Copenhagen prior to SC and AC meetings, 10-13 June, hosted by Lise Klitten. 18 people in attendance. Everyone was and is welcome! It was a disappointment that the meeting was not publicised through the Scenography Commission in advance.
· Programme: visits to court theatre at Kristianborg Castle and theatre costume collection; Rosenborg Palace and art collection; a tour of Royal Danish Ballet workshops; Anne Sophie Bruun collection of historical costume; Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerod; Annette Maslak’s collection of reproduction clothing for children; and Louisiana Modern Art Museum.
· Symposium and Dinner with Danish Stage Designers with speakers from around the world.
· Election of co-Heads: Lise Klitten (Denmark) and Laura Crow (USA) until 2011. Kazue Hatano (Japan) Vice-Head, Nic Ularu (Romania/USA) will be programme director for 2009, Canan Goknil (Turkey) will be programme director for 2010.
· Meetings in 2009: End of May in Romania ‘Folk Costumes and Cultural Exchanges in Theatre’; Sept. 2009 in Korea ‘WSD2009,’ just after WSD, in Oct. 2009 in Japan. 2010 May in Turkey.
· There was an atelier visit later on 16.6.08: Anne-Marie Antella, freelance dance and TV designer.
· www.costumes.uconn.edu
5.3 Lighting Design Working Group – Henk van der Geest (Netherlands), Head
· Reported on the success at Scenofest and meeting at PQ 2007.
· Met in Helsinki with Education Commission in May 2008. Meeting later on 16.6.08 in Stockholm.
· The group will contribute to PQ and Scenofest 2011; Henk will co-ordinate.
· Scenofest will support young designers with educational advice.
· Support for developing OISTAT centres, e.g. Bangladesh and East Africa.
· 2009 meetings: January in Amsterdam; September for WSD in Korea.
· Henk had been appointed in 2000 at the Bregenz meeting and is now on the OISTAT Executive. He is seeking to share role of Head and responsibility with a colleague – please volunteer!
· www.ilolight.net – new!
5.4 Set Design Working Group – Miodrag Tabacki (Serbia), Head
· Miodrag is pleased that set design/scenography group is recognised as an equal entity to the other working groups.
· The group now needs to establish targets.
6.0 Scenography Commission Business
6.1 Membership
· There are 46 attendances from 22 nations at this Scenography Commission meeting.
· Participation in the working groups is open to everyone.
· Individual membership of OISTAT is open to anyone in a nation where there is no national centre or fewer than 10 individual members.
· In order to avoid recurring misconduct that was occurred in the Scenography Commission Meeting at Tel Aviv, the membership must be clarified in terms of its duty as well as its right.
6.2 Guidelines for the Working Groups
· SungChul Kim was concerned that participants in the working groups have difficulty in obtaining funding and that their participation in OISTAT and working group events could be made easier by formalising their institution.
· It was agreed that SungChul Kim should circulate his proposal for a formal guidelines for the Working Groups to all members of the Commission in advance of the next meeting. Working Group Heads will be able to liaise with the SC Chair to agree details in advance of this. The subject will appear as an agenda item at the meeting in 2009.
· Evcimen Percin (Turkey) suggested that the proposal could be available via the website with a ‘blog’ for commissioners to share their comments in advance. Whilst this is possible, it may be simpler to manage comments via e-mail.
7.0 Any other business
· Laura Crow (USA) proposed that Eloise Kazan (Mexico), PQ 2007 Gold Medal Winner, be invited to hold a workshop at WSD.
· Rick Thomas (USA) suggested that all PQ medal winners could be invited to participate in a workshop at WSD.
· Fiona Watt (UK) requested that WSD should be disseminated around the world for those who cannot attend (e.g. by live web-broadcast).