the college of performing arts at the new school launches a remote summer festival that celebrates and explores creativity and pushes the boundaries of remote performance

June 29, 2020, New York - The New School's College of Performing Arts (CoPA) announces a week-long series of workshops and performances that explore the cutting edge possibilities of remote music and sound collaboration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the performing arts community with unique challenges. As cultural institutions across the country are forced to cancel or adapt this summer’s programming, CoPA looks to the parameters of social distancing as a new mode of artistic creation. Among the themes to be explored, students will look at how to create meaningful connections and communicate expressively over the internet; public performance in the digital space; the concept of venue in the digital space; and possibilities of telematic performance. The CoPA Virtual Summer Festival aims to explore these themes while equipping students with context, skills, and experience to navigate a post-pandemic music industry by utilizing and building on over two decades of already existing work in telematic performance. More than just an intensive technology workshop, the festival will serve as an artistic medium and virtual expressive space that demands the attention of performing artists in light of COVID-19.

The inaugural summer festival will include workshops and events that explore high-level remote performances, led by leading faculty at the forefront of distributed creativity and co-curated by the International Contemporary Ensemble. While the festival will be primarily centered on music and sound, it will be an interdisciplinary experience that challenges students to work across geographical boundaries, time zones, and musical traditions. Key faculty will include Ross Karre, Co-Artistic Director of the International Contemporary Ensemble and numerous guest presenters who will guide students through internet-based ensembles, 3D immersive environments, and personal storytelling portraits.

“While we can’t be certain what the landscape of live performance will look like in a post-COVID-19 world, we can be certain that it will be different,” says Richard Kessler, Executive Dean for the College of Performing Arts and Dean of Mannes School of Music, “It is our responsibility to prepare students and provide them with the skills necessary to continue their work in light of the pandemic. Our faculty and students have shown incredible flexibility and creativity in the work that they have already produced remotely and it is our hope to support and expand that work with this inaugural festival. The prospect of synchronous remote performance is one that is particularly relevant to the CoPA community, which has members across the globe. Incorporating this work into our community would provide unprecedented educational access and performance opportunities to our whole community, regardless of their time zone.”

Levy Lorenzo, Assistant Professor of Creative Technologies, says “This festival is one of a kind in its courageous approach to explore the leading edge of what is possible within our modern conditions. As we face new questions and challenges in the performing arts, I am optimistic about what will come from collaborative, open-source problem-solving and fearless creative experimentation. Rather than ask how to replicate our working performance models pre-COVID-19, I would urge us to dream forward to seek how we can extend those models to find new expressive, vital ways to cultivate experiences that engage and inspire both performers and audiences.”

“I would especially encourage artists to apply who may think of themselves as "non-tech savvy" or might have zero experience with technology in their practice. One thing I clearly see as certain for the future is that the experimentation, practice and play in the realm of technology will be absolutely crucial for the upcoming generation of performing artists.” 

The festival will run Sunday, August 2nd to Friday, August 7th, 2020 with the opening day dedicated to anti-oppression training and community building. Continuing and newly admitted students are highly encouraged to participate; the festival is free of charge. We invite artmakers from all disciplines to apply and attend, especially those with an interest in music, sound, and audio. More information can be found at festival.coparemote.com.