Activities, Calls, Progetti/Projects

FAQ: Trasformatorio LAB

by trasformatorio

Why a LAB?

Trasformatorio is a Laboratory for enacting transformations. A Laboratory from latin Laboratorium, a place/space/time to work in. Work is a term that has many meanings in our tradition. Is the work you do on yourself, the work you do for others, the work of the actor to possess his character’s actions upon the textual matter of the play. Work is what you do with presence, intent and quality.

Scope of the Lab?

Sharing and learning techniques, strategies, materials and themes for XXIst century site specific performance.

What do we found in Cosio?

We created a context, a physical, inhabited place that is curiously reaching out to us for a short period of time. We create with what we find and what we take with us. We don’t enhact something we already know, we are explorers, observers, actors and experimenters engaged with the place to find a ghostly presence and be able to learn from that. Search before coming to Cosio D’Arroscia, reach out, scan the sources, dig the net, ask your friends, establish contact, test what context you can propose. Everyone of us is a bag full of colors and tricks, trust yourself and wait to use any of them. Walk, listen, observe, before interact. You will be there to find and transform not else.

There will be a place to set up our things and be together, a center to do our own kitchen and some tools, all the relations we can build and the network of trust we can engage. A team dedicated to help and facilitate interactions. There will be a final presentation, curated by Federico

And what we will not find in Cosio?

A production, a production line for your already conceived work, a container (either is a theater, a gallery, a stage with lights, generic technicians and gear, a standard sound system and so on). We work site specific and what we can carry ourselve or find on site. Our focus is onto enacting transformations. The magician makes his own hat. Any hat made by the magician is a magic one. We set out to learn our way to be magicians in the world.

What is the role of Federico?

Federico takes care of keeping this situation consistent with the work every participant wants to do in the Lab, takes responsibility for the work, coordinates and, as everyone else, shares his findings in the most honest form possible. He has 30 years of experience and good eyes for coordination and tutoring. As he says “ask and it will be given”. He is not going to direct your work. He will take responsibility to set the final showcase event and on that day will act as event director to ensure the best possible situation for all work to be enjoyed by the participating audience.

Is there a budget?

In terms of money the answer is easy: NO.
We believe that money is sugar, fast burned cheap energy. We set out to make a feast of a dinner, we need many ingredients, not only their caloric power in sugar cubes.

Trasformatorio in Cosio d’Arroscia is co-produced by all participants, the trasformatorio foundation and the village. This means that all participants will for the time of the lab be members of the production, with full disclosure of the production value flows. Any decision with eventual money flows during the production period will be taken in a consensual way, by the circle of participants. The eventual material products of the laboratory will stay property of the maker. All participants commit to release with open license the documentation of their work in Cosio and to refer to Trasformatorio Lab in following presentations. That is all.

The methodology you refer to is free to replicate and use?

Trasformatorio methodology and processes are intellectual property of which Trasformatorio Foundation exerts stewardship as a no-profit organisation. We believe in open knowledge so we do with our methods and flows. Is up to the author (represented or not by the foundation as a whole) to publish or not, to decide upon and to declare under his own responsibility if some experimental procedure can be described as part of a whole coherent methodology. All will be produced during the lab by the foundation is to be licensed with open license by her, as stated in foundation statute. Is up to us to decide what and when to publish any documentation with our name. What you learn is your own to transform and we do not give out any certification, diploma or else endorse anyone to teach in the name of the foundation.

What we are expected to do?

You are accepted as participant upon a proposal for work, CV and intention. We create the context and curate your presence there, in the sense of taking maximum care that the conditions for a gratifying research will be met. You are expected to participate, reach out and communicate, do your best, learn and share what you know. You are free to decide at the end event if you your work is ready to be shared with no obligation to perform.

Rules of behavior?

The lab is a temporary community of peers, some of us have worked together some not. Some travel from far. To be together and form an effective temporary community is part of the work. Morning stand up circle is part of the work. Mutual respect and positive attitude as well as conflict resolution are part of the work as well.
To be accepted in the lab you must have your own health insurance and sign a disclaimer of responsibility to the organization.In any case you will be expected to behave as a responsible adult human being.

More references

TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION:

Send an email to info@trasformatorio.net with:

  • your proposal of work for the theme of the lab
  • CV and reference
  • The best proposals will be selected to participate.The deadline for submissions is March 8 2021.