Dear Members of the TC,
The meeting of the technology commission in Houston and the consequent mail stream that followed it already lead to some results.
Support to Practitioners Project:
Scott Henkel from the Ohio Northern University is offering some suggestions, and now there is communication going on between Scott en our members in Serbia, Hungary and Cuba.
Other suggestions were offered by Scott Parker, from the Johnny Carson’s School of Theatre and Film Lincoln, Nebraska and Ian Evans of The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
We will produce a ‘letter of intent’ and I would like to ask the members of the TC to spread it in the OISTAT commissions and the National Centres. The letter should explain our aim and ask for applies.
PQ2011
This time the TC would like to leave a remarkable footprint on the next PQ.
We will do this with the following projects:
The Technical Solutions Prize:
The competition will be called: “The Technical Solutions Prize” and it was decided upon that the TC is the Judging Panel.
The prize will be awarded during the PQ.
Loren Schreiber has gracefully accepted to be the man to be in charge of the project, and communication has already started.
Please do all contact your local OISTAT centres to communicate about this price.
You can find a preliminary text on the website http://www.oistat.org/content.asp?path=sl8krojm
‘Tours with students during PQ’ looking back on the PQ, we can conclude that our participation was a success. Several speeches were given by members of our commission, and the tours with students were well attended. It is the opinion of the meeting that we can expand our cooperation during the next PQ, with projects like workshops with students and technicians, for instance to discuss the feasibility of a set design. We can also consider expanding to workshops in combination with technical facilities and technical support.
We will initiate ‘hands-on’ workshops (for instance: hanging and focussing lights; difference between various theatres and production area’s)
Tours with students will be organized.
We will consider more suggestions for involvement of all kinds.
Informative projects
CEN: The CEN workshop on ‘Lifting and Load Bearing for Stages and other Production Areas within the Entertainment Industry’ at the European Committee for Standardisation is, after two years, at its very final draft version.
The final document will be expected within weeks.
Fire Regulations: It is noted that fire regulations are not internationally equal.
Kazumi points out that for instance USA certificates are not accepted in Japan.
In the Netherlands a working group has almost finished guidelines for this matter.
Bert will email this document as soon as it is available.
Oral History: Bert explains that in Holland the project was successful and has already come to a conclusion. Oral history of (old and elder) theatre technicians was recorded and publicised on DVD.
We will publicize (newsletter OISTAT, website) the existence, and offer the idea to other people. The initiative can be taken by anyone interested.
Equipment History: This is not so much about starting up a museum, as it is about the importance of our technical heritage. It might be of importance to keep track of the storage of used goods, and prevent that everything is being thrown away.
The Pennsylvanian State University for instance has a well kept collection of lighting equipment.
On this matter we will also publicize (newsletter OISTAT, website) the existence and the offering of the thought/idea to other people.
Dormant projects:
Risk assessment
Costing Forms
Theatre Atlas
Production Rider Template
These projects are concerned to be closed.
When new developments are protruding, the subject will be put on the agenda.
New Business
‘Discussion on national tech-info’ Are we to put national tech-info on the OISTAT-site? Can this be a student project? “Handy Facts on the Website” or “What You might want to know about our Theatre(system)”.
Matters that are important here are for instance ‘organisation design’: where do national matters concerning theatre organisation differ to internationally ‘normal’ situations? What specific national system is in use? Are there very specific national technical circumstances? What kind of theatres house plot is available?
In each country national information is usually available, but how to make internationally accessible?
‘Theatre Words’ is already is a big help here, but more can probably be done, as Theatre Words only translates, and hands no solutions.
This matter can be appointed ‘New Business’ for the TC.
TC membership
An additional discussion is held on the way the TC (and commissions of OISTAT in general) operates. There appears to be a partial lack of interest, as we hardly hear of certain members and it is not clear if every OISTAT centre has an official OISTAT delegate in the TC.
It is important that members are well associated with their national centres, keep contact, give feedback and report on various topics. It is not just a personal network group.
It is not clear if there is a delegate in place from each centre.
It is pointed out that half of the delegates have to be present at the meeting; otherwise it’s not official.
To further enhance the commission spirit we should (re-)alert the delegates, and check their involvement – or possibility to be involved.
We should re-establish contact with in-active members.
We should contact centres we have no delegate from.
John promises to look in to the state of the members on the existing list.
It is suggested that an updated mailing list with names and e-mail addresses of the delegates would be welcome.
Invitations to next meetings:
Possibilities are:
Berlin 2009 (Showtech)
Hungary 2010
Prague 2011
CITT of Canada might invite the TC for their annual august trade fair, but this will not be possible in 2009.
There will always be possibilities for low budget meetings. That might be the case in Holland or Hungary.
Ivo Kersmaekers,
Chair Technology Commission
