Rehearse, Converse and Perform Online
CdnStudio is an online ‘room’ that uses internet technology to bring collaborators from across Canada together. With a few key props such as a laptop with webcam, a blank wall, and a high speed internet connection, Canadian artists may “rehearse” in real-time and in a shared virtual space from anywhere in the country.
At a launch event on May 15, prospective users (as well as the generally curious) can learn more about this unprecedented tool for performance creation, and are invited to try out the groundbreaking new technology on their own laptops.
“CdnStudio challenges some of the core tenets of what theatre is”, says SpiderWebShow Artistic Director Michael Wheeler. “Do the physical bodies of audience and performer need to occupy the same physical space? Usually, but not with CdnStudio, where the a performance can occur live but the shared space is a digital one.”
This is the first phase of CdnStudio. Already, the team is considering ways to refine and grow its capacity, based on ongoing contributions and ideas from the Canadian performance community. From new work development, to technologically fueled experimentation, to reimagined definitions of live performance, SpiderWebShow invites the collective creative imaginations of Canadian makers to consider how digital collaboration will refine our medium.
