[PD] Announce: Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art - Minneapolis

[michael at berkowski.net]

NOTE: PLEASE DIRECT INQUIRIES TO sparkfst at umn.edu INSTEAD OF REPLYING TO THIS
MESSAGE.


University of Minnesota School of Music, Noel Zahler, Director
Announces
2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art
Douglas Geers, Director
West Bank Arts Quarter, University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus
February 22-26


CALL FOR COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, and PRESENTERS
Submission Deadline: September 30, 2005 (postmark)


The University of Minnesota School of Music is proud to present the
2006 Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art, February 22-26. The
festival will be held on the Minneapolis campus of the University of
Minnesota (USA) and at the Walker Center for Art, Minneapolis. Now in
its fourth year, the Spark Festival showcases the newest
groundbreaking works of digital music and art. Last year’s festival
included innovative works by over one hundred international composers
and artists, including featured guest artists Philippe Manoury and DJ
Spooky. Leading scholars and technology specialists also presented
papers relating to new technology and creativity.  Audiences for the
concerts, installations, and lectures last year totaled approximately
2,000 people.


Spark invites submissions of works incorporating new media, including
electroacoustic concert music, experimental electronica, theatrical
and dance works, installations, kinetic sculpture, artbots, video,
and other non-traditional genres.


Spark also invites submission of scholarly papers on technical and
aesthetic subjects related to the creation of new media art and
music. All accepted papers will be published as part of the Spark
proceedings.  Please see http://spark.cla.umn.edu/archive.html for a
PDF copy of the Spark 2005 proceedings and program.


MUSIC SUBMISSIONS
Music submissions will be accepted in four categories:
1. Concert works: Electroacoustic works with and without performers.
Performance venues will accommodate 2-8 channel works and works with
video.  Although there is no strict limit of duration, pieces of
fifteen minutes or less are encouraged. Note that Spark 2006 will
feature guest performers Maja Cerar (violin) and Brian Sacawa
(saxophone).  Works written for solo violin and solo saxophone with
digital music and/or images are especially welcome.  Other
instruments will be available, and details on available performing
forces will be posted on the Spark website with the submission forms.


2. "Club" works: Experimental electronic performances in a "club- style" venue. 
Performers of various styles will be considered,
including those influenced by IDM, hip-hop, glitch, jazz, and etc.
Selected performers will be given sets of 15-30 minutes.  Performance
venue will accommodate stereo sound and video.


3. Installations: [See "Art Works" below]


4. Music with video [See “Art Works” below]


ART WORKS
Submissions will be accepted in three categories:
1. Installations and gallery works: A number of installation and
gallery exhibitions will be mounted in various spaces on the UMN
campus, including the Weisman Art Museum.  Please include technical
and space requirements with submission.  Installations may be
physical objects, video and/or sound projections, or combinations
thereof.  Artists may be required to provide some or all of necessary
technology to mount installations.


2. Radio:  Spark Radio is a new addition for the 2006 festival,
initiated and curated by Abinadi Meza, a Minneapolis-based artist.
Submissions for Spark Radio may include sound art, samplism, field
recordings, turntablism, pirate radio, sonic deconstructions, and
other transmissions.  Please submit on CD or CD-ROM.


3. Video: Experimental video works will be screened at multiple Spark
events. Videos featuring digital music compositions (two-channel or
Dolby 5.1) are welcome, but this is not required. Although there is
no strict limit of duration, pieces of twelve minutes or less are
encouraged.  Please submit on DVD or VHS (NTSC).


4. Theater/Dance:  A number of theatrical and dance works
incorporating new technologies will be programmed at Spark 2006, with
a special interest in shorter works that can be integrated into
programs with music and video works.  In addition, although not
confirmed as of this writing, we hope to produce at least one
performance in a dance theater with video projection and an Internet
2 connection. Please include performance venue and technical
requirements with submissions.


PAPERS
Technical papers, lecture/demonstration, and workshop submissions
that deal with topics relating to creating arts and music with new
technology are encouraged, including intermedia composition,
performance, human-computer interaction, software/hardware
development, aesthetics, and history.
Paper and lecture/demonstration submissions will be accepted in two
categories:
Standard length: Twenty-minute presentation, allowing for five
minutes of Q/A.
Short length: A feature unique to the Spark festival is Symposium
Fast Forward, a presentation of five to ten-minute presentations
followed by five to ten minutes of Q/A.  The idea of Symposium Fast
Forward is to create a venue where ideas and projects may be
presented succinctly with time following for discussion and
brainstorming. Both students and professionals are encouraged to
submit presentations of this type.


Standard submissions should consist of a two-page abstract with
bibliography. Short length submissions should submit a 1-2 paragraph
abstract with bibliography.  Camera-ready papers will be due on
November 1, 2005.


Individuals may submit a maximum of one paper and one lecture/ demonstration,
and these will be submitted online. More information
about the submission process will be available soon on the Spark 2006
website when the online submission procedure has been activated. All
accepted papers will be published as part of the Spark proceedings.


SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants are invited to submit one work per category in up to three
categories for consideration. All applicants must complete an online
submission form on the Spark Festival website and include their
submission number(s) with any physical media sent via postal mail.
The submissions website will be at http://spark.cla.umn.edu/ submissions.html
and will be activated in late July. More details
about the submission process will be available on the Spark 2006
website when the online submission procedure has been activated.


Regarding music and other performance works: Performing resources
will be drawn from the University of Minnesota, although applicants
are welcome to provide their own performers if desired. More
information about available performers will be posted on http://
spark.cla.umn.edu when the online submission procedure has been
activated.


Composers and artists whose works are selected for inclusion are
strongly encouraged to attend the festival.  Scholars whose papers or
demonstrations are accepted will be required to attend Spark to
deliver their presentation.


TECHNICAL DETAILS
Selected works will be announced by November 1, and travel and
accommodations information will be posted on http://spark.cla.umn.edu
by the same date.


Submission deadline is September 30 (postmark).  More information and
the online submissions procedure will be posted soon on the Spark
2006 website at http://spark.cla.umn.edu. Questions can be directed
to the Spark hosts at sparkfst at umn.edu.