Open Call: Communication Formats for the Project and Publication “Perceptions”

What shapes our perception as audience members? Under which (physical) conditions do I perceive an artistic experience? To what extent does the performance venue also influence my perception? Communication formats can encourage audience members to direct their attention to their own perception of an artistic work and to question it.
 

Who can participate?
All interested parties from the independent performing arts community as well as cultural communicators and those seeking to become cultural communicators are warmly invited to conceptualize communication formats (academic or work experience in the field of communication is not a prerequisite for the application).

The selected formats can be realized and tested out by the authors themselves with the support of Theater Scoutings Berlin in the time period from February to May 2022 using two productions within Berlin’s independent performing arts community.

The application deadline is November 22, 2021.

We are realizing this project in collaboration with performance venues within Berlin’s independent performing arts community. A total of up to three newly conceived communication formats will be tested, further developed and adapted over the course of two rounds of trials at three performance venues in Berlin. The selected formats will additionally be presented in a publication, accompanied by experiential reports from the performance venue partners and supplemented through articles on already existing formats and experiences within Berlin’s independent performing arts community.
 

What are we looking for?
We are looking for ideas for communication formats with a length of ten up to a maximum of sixteen minutes that can be realized directly before or after a performance. The formats should be able to be realized by a wide group of individuals, independently from the creator of the idea and should be applicable using a variety of productions. However, it is also possible that an idea is limited to a specific genre and/or target group. While communication formats for children and young people are not excluded, we do prefer formats that are intended for an adult audience.

Important note: This project sees itself as a laboratory for experimentation! All ideas are welcome, including those that may seem difficult to realize at first glance. A workshop will be offered (see the schedule below) in order to specify ideas and practically further develop them as well as a test phase which makes it possible to change and adapt the communication formations over the course of two rounds of trials.
 

How can I participate?

The application deadline for ideas of new communication formats is November 22, 2021. The applications should include a brief biography as well as brief description of the idea (max. one A4 page) with the following information:

• Goal and principle of the communication format
• Target group/genre of the performing arts
• First draft for the course of the format

The description can be provide in written (in German or English) or submitted as an audio file.

We strive to reflect the diversity of society within our projects and thus expressly welcome applications by those who represent marginalized perspectives. Any possible costs for interpretation into German sign language during the workshop and the trials can be covered. We are at your disposal if you have questions about accessibility.

This project sees itself as an experimental platform for exchanges for considering perspectives in perceptions from the point of view of audiences and productions. The authors of the communication formats can professionally test out and further develop their own ideas. The formats will be published in a handbook; the entries will be accredited to their creators and contact information will also be listed, if desired.

All selected creators will receive a fee in the amount of 600 EUR (this includes attending both workshop dates in January and June of 2022 (maximum duration of three hours), two trial runs of their own formats between February and May of 2022 and, in conclusion, writing a short text about the format for the publication).

Committee of Experts:

• Swetlana Gorich, cultural educator, project manager "Performing Exchange" at the Bundesverband Freie Darstellende Künste e.V. (German Federal Association of the Performing Arts)
• Olivia Hyunsin Kim/ddanddarakim, artist and curator
• Martin Rolfs, Prof. Dr. phil., Heisenberg Professor for 'General Psychology: Active Perception and Cognition' (Humboldt University Berlin)
• With Nathalie Frank, Project Manager for the Performing Arts Program Berlin

Schedule for the Project (subject to changes):

October 2021:
Open call for authors of communication formats

November 2021:
Selection of up to three performance venue partners by an advisory committee of experts

December 2021:
Selection of up to three communication formats by an advisory committee of experts with the involvement of the performance venue partners

January 2022:
Kick-off event: the creators of the selected ideas will be invited to attend a workshop format. Alongside the opportunity to exchange and provide input on communication formats, the goals, procedures and practical conditions of the formats will be clarified during the workshop.

Open call for additional text contributions for the publication accompanying the project

February to May 2022:
Test phase: each newly conceived format will be tested out and worked with twice at the three performance venue partners. There will be a round of feedback following each test.

Selection of up to six additional text contributions by an advisory community of experts with the involvement of the performance venues partners

June 2022:
Conclusion of the test phase: the creators of the formats will be invited to attend a workshop format. The test phase will be reflected upon and the written contributions will be discussed.

July 2022:
Text contributions by the authors of the formats as well as by the performance venues will be written that reflect upon the experience from different perspectives.

October 2022:
Release of the publication: all of the participants will be invited to the festive public presentation of the publication.