PROJECTS

1. The first webinar to explore the power of interactivity in the world of emerging performing arts, digital storytelling and its innovative applications is titled SEPHIROT® HYPERDRAMMATURGIES: interactive game design for the scene with Alessandro Anglani took place on April 22, 24, 26 and 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. During the workshop, it was examined how interactive storytelling is becoming fundamental in new stage formats, both in presence and remotely. Methodologies were devised and organized for the creation of narrative content that transdisciplinarily blends classical dramaturgical structures with the hypermedia and interactive possibilities typical of multimedia. Starting with a solid introduction to interactive storytelling, its definitions were explored, examining its transposition to the contemporary context through the lens of game design and gamification. The concept of hyperdramaturgy was explored and SEPHIROT® interactive storytelling writing techniques were presented, enabling experiences that stimulate fun and ethical choices. How the paradigm of audience and creator roles is changing in the context of interactive performance was explored, assessing contemporary trends and their social impact as powerful tools for engagement and immersiveness. Through guided practical exercises, participants became familiar with these tools, preparing for the creation of a hyperdramatic structure using the SEPHIROT® system.
2. The second training course took place in Catania at the equipped spaces of Zō Centro Culture Contemporanee on April 29, 30 and May 2 and 3 and at Spazio Oscena in Catania on May 4. The workshop on ISADORA, the celebrated software for interactivity and manipulation of media sources in live performance was conducted directly by its inventor, Mark Coniglio, composer, programmer and artistic Co-Director Troika Ranch with support from Eni Brandner. The workshop focused on the operation of the innovative ISADORA software, a flexible graphics programming environment that provides interactive control over digital media. During the workshop, the fundamentals of handling ISADORA and IZZYCAST software were learned . It was shown how movement and voice can instantly interact with audiovisual elements using digital media and body tracking with the help of Rokoko Smartsuit Pro™ suits. Participants were offered a free temporary license of ISADORA software for a period of 60 days from the start of the workshop.
3. Also in the spaces of Zō Centro Culture Contemporanee in Catania was held on May 9.  10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. the workshop entitled: Live entertainment and new technologies, that is, if the future comes through here we will be ready! With lecturer theater organizer Francesca D'Ippolito, lecturer director of vr shows Andrea Paolucci and lecturer of digital image processing at the Academy of Communication and Image in Rome and Creator of “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit,” Massimiliano Siccardi the participants asked themselves about very topical questions, namely: how to produce, promote and disseminate live performance productions that use new technologies without forgetting economic and ecological sustainability and the possibility of circulating the works produced in the system we know? What new skills are needed to create performances in Virtual Reality and how to make theater dialogue with the new digital environments? How to create, from works of art, immersive and emotional scenarios? 

The seminar was conceived as an experience to be lived in presence, but the possibility was offered to those who were unable* to be physically in Catania, to follow in streaming the first part of the course, to immerse themselves in the opportunities and difficulties that characterize the most innovative aspects of the contemporary scene. The ambition was cultivated to build, together with the participants, new projects, from the ideation phase to the realization of innovative projects, with particular attention to their dissemination at the national and international level.

• The next day, May 10, at the CUT |Unict University Theater Center Piazza Università 13 Catania was held the seminar day - CREATIVE ECOSYSTEMS: new languages for live performance. The first panel, “Perspectives of the Present,” was entrusted to scholars and professors from various Italian universities and dedicated to an analysis of the relationship between the performing arts sector and the possibilities offered by digital. Beginning with the contributions of various scholars, a trajectory was drawn that guided the afternoon's artistic and organizational reflections, thus contributing to a wide-ranging reflection on the issues on display, for the benefit of practitioners, operators, artists, artists, legislators and public administration executives. The meeting also paid special attention to the younger generation eager to explore new languages from both a theoretical and practical point of view.

The second panel, “New Provisions for Innovative Devices,” was devoted to assessing the impacts that new technologies have had - and continue to have - on the public funding system, in order to define new policies capable of harmonizing norms with the demands of the present. The contemporary scene was examined, characterized by creations that hybridize genres, languages and paradigms, merging practices and means proper to live performance, audiovisual and new technologies. Particular attention was paid to the investments allocated to digitization in recent years through PNRR funds, highlighting the difficulties that shows made with new technologies encounter in reading ministerial indicators and circuiting on the national market. The issue of work in the virtual reality environment and its effects on artists was addressed, emphasizing the need for a legal system to regulate relations in such an environment, also considering ethical aspects. Also discussed was the use of AI in relation to new authors and audiences, and the consequences for copyright.

The third panel, “Good Practices,” gave voice to artists who have benefited from incentives from PNRR funds, focusing specifically on the winners of the TOCC Notice - Digital Transition of Cultural and Creative Bodies. Opportunities and critical issues of the Notice were evaluated, comparing artistic practices put in place over the past two years. This gave rise to a plural and participatory moment, open and inclusive, aimed at strengthening the awareness of the sector and all those involved in the delicate and urgent relationship between performing arts and new technologies, an issue that needs an adjustment of the norms as well as the sensibilities involved.

• In attendance, on May 11, at Isola Catania was presented the Workshop The voice and its double: the organicity of the voice and the organless body with Lello Cassinotti and Luca De Marinis  What sound imaginaries could Antonin Artaud have drawn if he could have crossed the technological frontiers of the present time?

During the workshop, an investigation was carried out on the possible interactions between voice and new technologies for the creation of performative sonorities in real time and its applications to performance. It was a workshop open to curious people, musicians, actors and performers who, with lecturer Luca de Marinis and the voice of Antonello Lello Cassinotti, discovered what software, microphones and phonic equipment to use for each performative need There followed a public restitution and presentation of the volume “Artaud and the Sounds of Cruelty.” 

1. On May 16 and 17, hosted by the COSPECS Department of the University of Messina | Via Concezione, 6, Turi Zinna led the workshop for the students of the aforementioned department and the theater workshop of the Liceo Ginnasio Statale Giuseppe La Farina high school in Messina, entitled “CINEMA VR AND LIVE PERFORMANCE. Behind the scenes of 'An Egyptian Escape'”, chaired by Dario Tomasello, Scientific Director of UNIVERSITEATRALI, International Center for the Study of the Performativity of the Arts and Social Imaginaries at the University of Messina. Participants were offered the opportunity to immerse themselves in the creative and technical process behind the creation of a 360-degree film work, under the guidance of director Turi Zinna. Starting with an exploration of the show “An Escape to Egypt,” produced in collaboration with Lina Prosa and Tino Caspanello, the workshop aimed to unveil the techniques behind the creation of immersive theatrical experiences, using virtual and augmented reality as innovative storytelling mediums.Participants had the opportunity to experiment with VR visors, production software and directing techniques specific to virtual and augmented reality, thus gaining practical and theoretical knowledge for the creation of their own immersive projects.
2. With Simone Pacini on May 17, 24, 30 and 31, the course of Performing arts and podcasting: a possible dialogue. A series of 4 webinars delivered on a zoom platform to delve into the present relationships and future scenarios between the worlds of live performance and podcasting.
3. In the spaces of Via Del Principe, 20 Catania, the Workshop of Artistic Critique of Machine Learning with Michele Cremaschi, artist and Paolo Grigis, psychologist. The workshop explored how Machine Learning algorithms work, with a specific focus on their ability to produce text, questioning the cultural consequences of their artistic application. Through an experiential journey, participants concretely experienced hybridization with older analog technologies and discussed their perceptions of an area yet to be fully understood.The outcomes of the workshop contributed to academic research on investigating the political consequences of Machine Learning.
4. The workshop was held Digital tools for internationalization Conducted by Liv.In.G. at Via del Principe, 20 and online from 1 to 6 p.m. May 22, 2024.
5. During the webinar delivered on the Zoom platform on May 27, cultural communication in the age of artificial intelligence led by Cesare D'Arco and Edoardo Borzi was discussed. The webinar aimed to explore the central role of digital marketing and communication strategies in the management and enhancement of performing arts events, which are now essential to intercept and engage the target audience.
6. The workshop led by Rosa Sánchez and Alain Baumann of Konic Thtr at the Piccolo Teatro della Città Catania from June 4 to 14 entitled Creations of interactive digital environments for live performance has been a major success. Kònic Thtr is a Barcelona-based contemporary art platform internationally recognized for their use and incorporation of interactive technologies in their creative projects. Since the 1990s, Kònic Thtr has developed a unique and personal language in the field of contemporary creation, exploring the boundary between art and new technologies. Their works have been presented in Spain, Europe, America, Asia and Africa, captivating audiences around the world. During the workshop, participants immersed themselves in Kònic's creative process, discovering how interactive technology can transform and enrich art projects. Participants learned innovative techniques for integrating art and technology (Unreal Engine), experimented with and created their own digital works using cutting-edge technological tools, and expanded their skills by being inspired by new forms of artistic expression. The workshop took place the first week, June 4 to 8, with Alan Baumann and Álex Martínez, and the use of Unreal Engine, the software for creating interactive digital environments, and the second week, June 10-14, with Rosa Sanchez, participants created a choreography where the body related to the previously designed digital and immersive space. 
7. The webinar on Artificial Intelligence and Copyright: at the boundaries of creativity with Gianluca Cannavale of Patamu took place on June 20. It aimed to delve into the topic of the impact of artificial intelligence on the world of creativity, with a focus on the reflections that have emerged regarding the concepts of authorship, originality and protection of creative works. During the meeting, the most recent developments in this field were analyzed, examining how artificial intelligence is redefining the boundaries of creativity. Participants had the opportunity to explore the new challenges and opportunities related to the protection of works in the digital age, moving toward a deeper understanding of the legal and artistic implications of this technological advancement.
8. Workshop Between Here and Everywhere at Via Del Principe, 20 Catania June 21-23, was an 'opportunity to immerse oneself in the creative and technical process behind the creation of a 360-degree film work, under the guidance of director Turi Zinna and cinematographer Antonio Parrinello. Starting with an exploration of the show “An Escape to Egypt,” created in collaboration with Lina Prosa and Tino Caspanello, the workshop gave participants the chance to discover the techniques behind the creation of immersive theatrical experiences, using virtual and augmented reality as innovative storytelling mediums, and to experiment with VR visors, production software and directing techniques specific to virtual and augmented reality, thus gaining practical and theoretical knowledge for the creation of their own immersive projects.