Month: September 2020

Occupations, blockades and mass-direct actions are well-known tools of activists within various climate and social movements to destabilise public space. How can these traditional forms be developed in artistic and unpredictable ways? On Thursday September 24, FIBER Festival and Tolhuistuin invite anyone with an interest in new cross-pollinations between activism, choreography and technology for a brainstorm and performative workshop with huge inflatable objects.

Digital Swarm Research is the new experiment of artist group Tools for Action, led by Artúr van Balen in collaboration with choreographer Floor van Leeuwen. The group aims to develop a new language for manifestations by using inflatable sculptures and hybrid technology to develop complex participatory actions. The brainstorm session and choreographic workshop searches for new possibilities in collective movement and online coordination.

With red inflatable light sculptures on your back you move through the public spaces. With a light switch in your hand, you send signals to the other participants. Digital Swarm Research is a playful and adventurous exploration of swarm intelligence as a basis for future forms of collective action. Tools for Action brings together all interested in exploring new forms of artistic-activism. Join us!

Practical Information

Location: Tolhuistuin (Garden), IJpromenade 2, Amsterdam (NL)
Date: Thursday 24 September
Part 1: Brainstorm: 13:30 -16:30 CEST
Part 2: Choreographic Workshop: 19:00 – 23:00 CEST (€ 5,-)

What to expect?

The workshop consists of two parts:

1. Brainstorm Session 13:30 – 16:30 | A daytime lecture and brainstorm on digital swarming, protest tactics and the further development of Tools for Action´s open source toolkit. With an impulse presentation by Malcolm Kratz on Climate Games, an app developed for playful direct actions during the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris, 2015.
2. Choreographic Workshop: 19:00 – 23:00 | An evening workshop, in which the principles of digital swarming and performative actions in the public space are explored. Free for participants of the brainstorm session.

Participate!

Part 1: Brainstorm: € 0,- | Maximum of 20 participants

Part 2: Choreographic Workshop: Donation based for participants of the brainstorm session. € 5,- other people | Maximum of 30 participants

Both sessions can be purchased and participated in separately. However, we advise you to participate in both in order to get the full experience.

Workflow

After buying a ticket, a member of the Tools for Action staff will contact you for further information. More information and questions: [email protected]