Instigate Change, Generate Joy: An Eco-Performing Arts Contest Environmental Performance/Performance Art/Dance

Are you a college, grad school or professional dancer, actor, playwright, director or performance artist with a social conscience?

Are you passionate about using your art to increase awareness and instigate change on environmental issues?

The Association of Environmental Sciences and Studies (aess.info) is an interdisciplinary organization of researchers, activists and educators in colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. Contestants will have the opportunity to:

Contest Description

Participants will create a short performance piece (2-15 minutes) about a specific environmental issue, based on solid scientific research. It is suggested that participants enlist the help of a scientist who works on environmental science issues. The artists do not have to reproduce the scientists’ research, words or expertise word-for-word; rather, we are looking for creative ways to help “wake up” the public to these important issues. Consulting with a scientist in the field, and doing other research, will help inform and empower participating artists to do work that accurately reflects the realities of the issue they are presenting.

At the same time, artists are encouraged to be creative, outrageous, emotional, colorful, artistic – in short, performing artists, not journalists or reporters. Possible forms:

These pieces will be performed at various moments throughout the conference, when conference attendees are gathered together. For example, a flash mob could happen in the middle of lunch. A 5-minute performance art piece could happen at a crowded afternoon break. A 10-minute play or dance/movement piece could happen during the banquet. Pieces could surprise conference attendees and get them thinking about how art can enhance and empower their work as activists, educators and researchers. Other pieces may be chosen for a planned performance event.

Winners will also receive free conference registration. Conference highlights include:

Presentations and panels about various issues in Environmental Sciences by scientists and researchers at the top of their respective fields (ESS, sociology, psychology, theatre arts, visual arts, film, anthropology, economics, space sciences and more)
Field trips to area eco-centers (areas include national parks, urban food systems, and many others)
Skills-development workshops (The 2012 conference included workshops in community film-making, creative problem solving, and public policy)
Saturday evening catered banquet
Opportunities to network and collaborate with other artists and researchers/activists/educators in the social and hard sciences
Opportunities to see eco-art from other visual and performing artists

Requirements/Process

Participants can be undergraduate, graduate students or professional artists in the greater Pittsburgh region
Each project should have a designated project leader
Each piece should be 2-15 minutes
Each piece must be performed on your own campus or in another situation where you have an audience or a crowd. It must be videotaped and posted on Youtube
Contestants submitting can be single artists or teams of up to 3. Flash mob winners will bring 1-3 “organizers” who will receive the prizes. (Flash mob organizers are allowed to bring their group to perform if their group is Pittsburgh-local). The organizers will then teach interested conference attendees to perform their flash mob.
Each piece should be titled, and the title should be displayed at the beginning of the video
Each contestant must sign a waiver stating that their video may be shown during AESS events and on the AESS website.

To apply and submit your performance, go to: http://aess.info/2013ArtsContest

Each collaborator on the project must also fill out an online application.

For questions, please write art@aess.info

*DEADLINE: March 15, 2013

Winners will be notified by: April 15, 2013 READ MORE