CTRL is a development programme
In partnership with Submerge Festival, CTRL (Creative Technology Research Labs) is a new development programme for artists based in Greater Manchester looking to learn and develop skills in creative technology performance, immersive experience making, and digital creation tools. Through CTRL we want to invest in the digital and creative technology artists of the future, and we are excited to be able to offer further support to artists who are interested in developing innovative new live experiences using creative tech.
In January to July 2023, CTRL supported 14 artists who are under-represented in the sector to learn from inspirational creative technology artists, gain new skills and knowledge, connect with local and national artists and organisations, and start to develop ideas for the creation of new creative technology performances and immersive experiences.
As a continuation of the CTRL programme, The Lowry and Submerge Festival have now offered four research and development residencies exclusively to artists taking part in CTRL 2023 to spend time researching and developing new ideas involving creative technology.
EACH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT RESIDENCY WILL INCLUDE:
Seed funding of £2000 towards the research and development of a new production or exhibition.
Rehearsal space at The Lowry to research and develop work.
A platform to test and showcase your work in development as part of Submerge Festival 2024 at The Lowry, if appropriate.
Access to support and mentoring from The Lowry and Submerge Festival tailored to the needs of your project. This could include support with applying to Arts Council England, advice on approaching other artists and potential partners.
Support with marketing and advocacy for your project as part of Submerge Festival 2024
Meet Andee Collard
Andee Collard is a visual artist based in Bolton. He is interested in making art everyday and has several ongoing projects. Andee’s current practice uses CNC machines to make analogue paintings and drawings. His practice is a hybrid approach that combines aspects of painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, design, coding, engineering, writing, performance and education. The mash up and the cross pollination of ideas and techniques is important to him. He works across media, processes and genres.
Andee is interested in exposing the creative process and is exploring methods to share this with the public. He co-runs Bolton Contemporary, a socially engaged CIC.
Instagram: @andeecollard
Twitter: @andeecollard
Web: andeecollard.com
Read more about Andee Collard’s work
Project outline:
During this residency, Andee aims to explore further working with painting and drawing machines live in public. His primary focus will be to experiment with machines as co-performers and collaborators to enhance the audience’s experience by highlighting the unique, mesmerising sounds and movements they produce whilst making analog paintings.
He is particularly excited to delve into collaborations with musicians and the field of real-time video/audio input methods and MIDI control. The ability to manipulate and process data in real time could open up innovative ways of creating performances that are dynamic, spontaneous and engaging. He also wants to find ways to document these performances.
Communicating my creative process through performance and collaboration forms a key aspect of this project. He wants to demystify the technology for audiences, making it accessible and comprehensible, so they can better appreciate the art that it helps to produce. He envisions performances that showcase the relationship between human creativity and machine precision, ones that engage the audience by revealing the “behind-the-scenes” operations of the technology he uses.
He is enthusiastic about exploring how machines can work alongside human artists in a live setting. The challenge lies not only in coordinating the technological elements with human performers but also in fostering an artistic dialogue between the two. This pursuit could redefine conventional notions of a “band” or an “orchestra”, by integrating machines into these ensembles as contributing members.
Hes aspiration for this residency is to push the boundaries of what’s possible in live performances, embracing the symbiosis between technology and art. He aims to engage his audiences in a deeply immersive experience that transcends the traditional concert setup, presenting a sensory spectacle that melds human and machine-made visuals, sound and movement.
Meet Heather Alice
Heather Alice is a northern theatre maker whose work is rooted in dance and contemporary movement, but encompasses poetry, film, comedy and aerial performance. She has previously featured in TV, film, music videos and recently became a member of the National Youth Theatre. Her personal projects are of a feminist nature delving into women’s healthcare and neurodivergence which aim to empower women and build community. In 2023 she founded Weird Alice Entertainment to pursue immersive performance utilising creative tech.
Instagram: @heatheraliceartist
YouTube: @heatheraliceartist
Twitter: @HAliceArtist
Tiktok: @twentypercentdisgusting
Read more about Heather Alice‘s work
Project outline:
‘Sanspective’ is the debut project of immersive arts company Weird Alice Entertainment. The project explores neurodivergency through the use of a folkloric sci-fi narrative in a trans-media performance. Born out of the CTRL Programme, ‘Sanspective’ aims to create an atmospheric, interactive and gripping experience using spatialised sound, contemporary movement practices and projected visuals to layer and enhance storytelling.
Meet Scarlett-Rose LOVETTE
Scarlett-Rose Lovette (they/she), is a self-affirming “professional amateur”, poet, theatre-maker, musician, (and aspiring short-film maker), who uses their lived experiences, outreach, and research to inform systematic change. Their work is a sublime swirl of spooky and ethereal – divergent, minimal (DIY) yet striking.
Read more about Scarlett-Rose Lovette‘s work
Project outline:
‘PSEUDO: SEIZURE DIARY (A SHARING)’ is an extract of work-in-progress play ‘PSEUDO’: a cross-form gig theatre play led by Scarlett-Rose Lovette exploring where agency lies in a person experiencing NEAD (None-Epileptic-Attack-Disorder), and the marginalization and imposter syndrome associated with invisible disability today.
In a surge of poetic storytelling, an original electronic/rock soundtrack, and AI multi-sensory video and light projections, this autobiographical sharing, (inspired by Scarlett’s real seizure diary), challenges pseudo truths about Dissociative Seizures and self-image.
Meet Shawn J Stephen
Shawn J Stephen is a freelance visual artist with a background in visual anthropology. Specialising in photography, film and sound, Shawn has also developed an interest in creating immersive experiences using creative technology. He is keen to explore the potential that immersive experiences, facilitated by creative tech, can offer in meaningfully representing the lived experiences of the collaborators in his projects.
Instagram: @shawnjstephen
Twitter: @shawnjstephen
Facebook: Shawn Stephen
Website: shawnjstephen.com
Read more about Shawn J Stephen‘s work
Project outline:
Constellations of Care
This project will explore a unique aspect of Care: what it sounds like. By researching and recording soundscapes of care, contextualised by the lived experiences of my collaborators on this project, I would like to nurture a deeper understanding of this universal characteristic, primarily through the ears.
The final piece will be an immersive audio visual experience featuring spatially oriented soundscapes and a mix of projected visuals and LED light sources that will populate a space for the audience to immerse themselves in.