Log Book — ZERO HOUR — Showcases of another kind

noted 1st December, 2009

10 months and 11.1GB into 2 days of feel

Often we hear of an event that promises to close the gap between an audience and the offerings – a truly interactive experience – where the art doesn't exist without 'physical' interaction. This years 2high Festival set out to achieve this, promised to, & delivered, on many levels.

The framework for 2high Festival, has been built primarily on experience, in all its forms – a key to its strength & longevity. From the moment the fresh-faced coordinators are selected each year to represent performance, exhibitions, music, production, engagements, marketing & online departments it is established that this experience will be uniquely their own. With freedom for exploration & more importantly, room for error, the coordinators are given the freedom to create a festival how they imagine it. When ideas, or decisions need informing, the coordinators have the luxury of industry mentors, a Festival Manager & Backbone Youth Arts as guides.

Above: Butoh-inspired interactive performance '6 women in front of a white wall' by Little Dove Theatre – beautifully engaging for artist & participant. Photo: J.P. Robertson

Right: A personal favourite – a romantically autonomous yet sinister performance in the well, Kieran Swann (pictured) meticulously binding & attaching eggs to his torso with string. Photo: Yuki Nakano

Attention to detail throughout programming, design & interaction are oft overlooked, or discarded when an event's vision is clouded by profit numbers or trends. As each "boutique" or "unique" event becomes another haphazard, profiteering, carbon copying machine, the word 'festival' gets uglier. Does an event such as 2high Festival, in its 16th free year, suggest that a high level of detail and clear vision is not dependent on money, and that corner-cutting is perhaps a result of laziness, greed or false pretense? We feel it to be a responsibility to reference and uphold an idea's origin or a personal ethos. Remember? Back when it was only you, a 2nd-hand laptop & free internet at the state library. So, when the pineapples & greenbacks start rolling in does that not mean that those out of reach places & audacious ideas are now possible or were they specifically for "the pitch"?

2high Festival instills in its cultural producers not only the true value of money, (and how to use it wisely), but the worth of an individual – one's desire for an accurate execution in-line with an events ethos & vision. We were overwhelmed to have witnessed the evolution of 12 ultra-hip individuals who took their ideas from concept through to resolution, perhaps even more than they realise themselves. We feel, quite frankly, that these "first time" producers presented a 2-day happening that outshone many other examples of multi-arts, and music festivals alike. Quite simply because there was a definitive through-line – a clear detailed vision & a desire to accomplish – a desire that one could feel throughout the festival – had come from the right place.

2high Festival is a one-of-a-kind multi-arts festival – our involvement & time, (without pineapples), a testament to our belief that such a cultivation is vital to the next wave of arts practitioners & arts experiences. We hope to have assisted new possibilities & spawned new interest so that such a significant and noteworthy event sees continued support.

Thank you to our new friends for such an enriching experience.

Robert Millett & Cynthia Howard (pictured) during a MegaMix happening. Photo: Yuki Nakano

Has it ever occurred to you, Winston…

As I sit down to write this first blog (drafted on paper if you would believe) I’ve tried to think of what the most apt topic would be. I feel it most fitting to use the magical technology of the Internet to reflect on what its creation has caused some of us to lose.

The art of communication has evolved unheeded since mankind muttered his first discernable grunt. It has taken many forms through various languages, written text and has blessed us with poetry and song. However, over perhaps the past fifteen years our ability to express ourselves has begun to diminish, we have become Twitterfied, status updaters who have cre8ted crude lazy LOL text msg language to convey our thoughts quickly and succinctly. For the first time in our history we are cutting words from our dictionaries and thus our vocabularies to make way for new acronyms and lexicon.

Should we accept this ‘progress’ that simplifies our language? Should we instead begin a call to action, nay a movement, to save our expressiveness, to liberate our obscure adjectives and optimise our wonderful ability to really accentuate what we see and feel with verve, finesse and vigour?

ZHC believes so, and feels some things should be done the ‘old fashioned’ way, with pride, dedication and above all a determination to complete tasks with thoroughness, free of cheap easy shortcuts.

To conclude this introductory post I would like to sign off with some words I hope we never lose, words previous generations worked hard to instill in our lives and vocabulary.

Honour, tradition, respect, culture and beauty.

S.R.

Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?... Has it ever occurred to you, Winston, that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now?... The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact, there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.

– George Orwell, 1984, Book 1, Chapter 5

The post that hurts the most

The last report in 2007, David Sifry noted that roughly 120,000 new blogs being created worldwide each day. That's about 1.4 blogs created every second of every day so in the time it takes you to inhale 1 breathe of fresh cool air over 4 blogs are created.

While these figures are downright disturbing, I can guarantee a large chunk of such blogs fail miserably and take a nose-dive on or after the first post. Some bloggers don't even finish the first post... The hype of creating their one blog is soon outlived by the reality that blogging is writing, thinking and reflecting... hard work. Then there's the demographic who actually finish the first post and expect, like magic, world fame for their efforts. And when the glory of blogging doesn't come, it's over.

Google's leash

What it's sadly all boiled down to (in most cases), is Google rankings. Advertising and SEO agencies are driving their clients down the path to pure stat blogs in an effort to get good rankings, every post includes references and links to every pre defined keyword that will boost their business. The result is a cold un-human user experience. I think more often than not, they're missing the point. But it's really about integrity – do you care?

I love Dan's recent post that notes:

Remember when blogs were more casual and conversational? Before a post's purpose was to grab search engine clicks or to promise "99 Answers to Your Problem That We're Telling You You’re Having". Yeah – I'd like to get back to that here.

Touché!

The metaphysical ribbon cutting

Half a decade in the making, happily flying somewhat under the radar, only to surface for significant events and strategic rendezvous. ZERO HOUR has always tried to maintain a duality that is both bold and understated. Operating for periods ‘incognito’ has had its benefits and its drawbacks. We are often asked by inquisitive types — ‘So, what’s next for ZH?’ Some say this kind of frequent intrigue is positive for any company. We are always chuffed by intrigue — it feels good. Knowing where to start in our response is another thing. The usual response after a moments thought is ‘Do you have a while?’

To all of our collaborators, the brains trust, our lovers and families thank you for your energy, patience & fish. If our body of work had ears, we feel a welcome home would be most fitting.

We are chuffed to now be able to share a little more along the way. Not to say there won’t be the odd smoke and mirrors.

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Observation

10 months and 11.1GB into 2 days of feel

Has it ever occurred to you, Winston…

The post that hurts the most

Google's leash

The metaphysical ribbon cutting

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10 months and 11.1GB into 2 days of feel

Has it ever occurred to you, Winston…

The post that hurts the most

The metaphysical ribbon cutting

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