AMS Group C (Catherine, Lonneke, meLê) Network

You should see a flash presentation. If you are not seeing this, please follow this link: http://meleyamomo.com/MAIPR/keywords.swf

Tampere Group B (Tory, Hetta, Milan) The Keyword Diagram or Recycling Poster...?

TAM Group A (Slavica, Ira, Zhenya) Network

AMS group A (Ty, Olga, Loreto) NETWORK

TAM Group C keyword diagram

WAR Group B keyword diagram

WAR Group C Associational Network Image

The Performative Architecture of Facade

WAR Group A Keyword Bucket

AMS GROUP B Network

STAFF POSTING STAFF KEYWORDS QUESTION/COMMENTS

RE: Your request to ask questions and make comments to the presenters.

Below this message, I've posted all the presenters keywords, modalities, and topics. You are invited to use the comment box to address questions or comments to the presenters using these postings. I'm afraid they are all backwards, with the first set of keywords (mine) at the end of the string with another version of this message closing the bracket on these.

The cut-off point for submitting questions is Saturday at 4.00 GMT

(You click on the comment box at the end to add your comment, but unfortunately it must be text, as the blog won't allow you to post visuals.

JR

STAFF POSTING TOPICS HANNA K

SPACE

STAFF POSTING TOPICS MILIJA

CENSORSHIP

STAFF POSTING TOPICS SRUTI

SPECTATORSHIP

STAFF POSTING MODALITIES BAZ

Practice as Research Definitions

The use of practical creative processes to investigate substantive research concerns.

A method of research enquiry constituted through practical creative processes.

STAFF POSTING MODALITIES PIRKKO

/Curation/ as definition cannot be found in my dictionaries.

/Curate /(verb): select, organize, and look after the items in (a
collection or exhibition). Derivatives: /Curation/ (noun). Origin:
back-formation from /curator/.

/Curator /(noun): a keeper of a museum or other collection. Derivatives:
/curatorial/ (adjective). Origin: Latin from curare ‘take care of’.

/(Compact Oxford English Dictionary.)/

STAFF POSTING MODALITIES PETER

Source: Wiktionary (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scholar)
scholar (plural scholars)
1. A student; one who studies at school or college.
2. A specialist in a particular branch of knowledge.
3. A learned person.
4. One who educates themself for their whole life.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)
ARTFL > Webster's Dictionary > Searching for scholar:

Displaying 1 result(s) from the 1913 edition:

Scholar (Page: 1286)
Schol"ar (?), n. [OE. scoler, AS. sc&omac;lere, fr. L. scholaris belonging to a school, fr. schola a school. See School.]
1. One who attends a school; one who learns of a teacher; one under the tuition of a preceptor; a pupil; a disciple; a learner; a student. I am no breeching scholar in the schools. Shak. 2. One engaged in the pursuits of learning; a learned person; one versed in many branches, of knowledge; a person of high literary or scientific attainments; a savant. Shak. Locke. 3. A man of books. Bacon. 4. In English universities, an undergraduate who belongs to the foundation of a college, and receives support in part from its revenues. Syn. -- Pupil; learner; disciple. -- Scholar, Pupil. Scholar refers to the instruction, and pupil to the care and government, of a teacher. A scholar is one who is under instruction; a pupil is one who is under the immediate and personal care of an instructor; hence we speak of a bright scholar, and an obedient pupil.
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Main Entry: schol•ar
Pronunciation: \ˈskä-lər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English scoler, from Old English scolere & Anglo-French escoler, from Medieval Latin scholaris, from Late Latin, of a school, from Latin schola school
Date: before 12th century

1: a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher : pupil 2 a: a person who has done advanced study in a special field b: a learned person 3: a holder of a scholarship


Main Entry: her•me•neu•tic
Pronunciation: \ˌhər-mə-ˈnü-tik, -ˈnyü-\
Function: noun
Date: 1737
1 plural but sing or plural in constr : the study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible) 2: a method or principle of interpretation

Main Entry: his•to•ri•og•ra•phy
Pronunciation: \-fē\
Function: noun
Date: 1569
1 a: the writing of history ; especially : the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods b: the principles, theory, and history of historical writing a course in historiography 2: the product of historical writing : a body of historical literature


Main Entry: re•con•struct
Pronunciation: \ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt\
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1768
: to construct again: as a: to establish or assemble again b: to subject (an organ or part) to surgery to re-form its structure or correct a defect c: to build up mentally : recreate

STAFF POSTING KEYWORDS HANNA S

Locality: 1. the fact or condition of having a location in space or time 2. a particular place, situation or location

Source: Merriam-Webster Online. 19 September 2008
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Ethnicity: 1. ethnic quality or affiliation 2. a particular ethnic affiliation or group < students of diverse ethnicities

Source: Merriam-Webster Online. 19 September 2008
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Multiculturalism: see multicultural; of, relationg to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures < a multicultural society> < multicultural education> < amulticultural menu>

Source: Merriam-Webster Online. 19 September 2008
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

STAFF POSTING KEYWORDS KATI

Culture: “Culture […] is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law. Morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” E.B. Tylor, Primitive Culture, Boston 1871, p. 1.

Intercultural: The intercultural is a space of negotiation that opens the way to the inter(connectedness) of cultures, based not on the exoticism or relativism of multiculturalism or on the diversity of cultures, but offering an insight in the struggles and in the performative histories and trajectories of becoming cultures. So, the inter is the cutting edge of translation and negotiation, the in between space where cultures not only reveal their meanings and appearances, but also reveal how they merge to something new. (Based on: H. Bhabha, The location of Cultures.)

Multicultural: part of the notion of cultural diversity: Seen through the lens of cultural diversity cultures become epistemological objects, objects of knowledge that tend to be compared as pre-given contents and customs. (H. Bhabha, The location of Culture)

Transcultural: notion of universality of culture or of cultural aspects that are common to all cultures. It transcends the notion of cultural difference.

STAFF POSTING KEYWORDS JANELLE

GLOBALIZATION: the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets

INTERNATIONALISM: 1) a policy of cooperation among nations 2) an attitude or belief favoring such a policy

COSMOPOLITAN: adj. 1): having worldwide rather than limited or provincial scope or bearing 2) having wide international sophistication : worldly 3) composed of persons, constituents, or elements from all or many parts of the world

TRANSNATIONAL: adj. extending or going beyond national boundaries; transnational corporations

Source:
Merriam-Webster Online. 18 September 2008http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Staff Posting STAFF KEYWORDS QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

RE: Your request to ask questions and make comments to the presenters.

Immediately after I post this message, I'll be posting all the presenters keywords, modalities, and topics. You are invited to use the comment box to address questions or comments to the presenters using these postings.

The cut-off point for submitting questions is Saturday at 4.00 GMT

(You click on the comment box at the end to add your comment, but unfortunately it must be text, as the blog won't allow you to post visuals.

JR

AMS Group A (Loreto, Olga, and Ty) RESPONSE (Minority) form TAM Group A

Sorry for the delay. It was beyond our control.

We find the sociological definition of minority exposes the contradiction of the term. Just to take one step further from the given definition, we’d like to relate this to conditions in developing countries, in which people below the poverty line comprised the majority of the population, but no access to power. The case is the same with women. One of the concepts implicit in this definition that needs to be unpacked is: power. Who handles the pot defines the majority and minority. So in this sense, the concept is relative to power relations. And that’s why the “minority” is always at the disadvantaged.

Thank you to the groups A in Finland and in Warwick

AMS B Comment (E-dentity) Final posting

Keyword: ‘E-dentity’ (Keith)

DEFINITION (inc. source):
‘E-dentity’, online identity, and digital identity were not found in any reputable dictionaries I consulted. These are the definitions I found that address the term I’m calling ‘e-dentity’

Digital identity - The electronic representation of a real-world entity. The term is usually taken to mean the online equivalent of an individual human being, which participates in electronic transactions on behalf of the person in question. However, a broader definition also assigns digital identities to organizations, companies, and even individual electronic devices.


Digital identity refers to the aspect of digital technology that is concerned with the mediation of people's experience of their own identity and the identity of other people and things. Digital identity also has another common usage as the digital representation of a set of claims made by one digital subject about itself or another digital subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_identity

Online identity is a social identity that network users establish in online communities. Although some people prefer to use their real names online, most Internet users prefer to identify themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information.
In some online contexts, including Internet forums, MUDs, instant messaging, and massively multiplayer online games, users can represent themselves visually by choosing an avatar, an icon-sized graphic image. As other users interact with an established online identity, it acquires a reputation, which enables them to decide whether the identity is worthy of trust.

Here is the challenge of E-identity!

Say we were to consider E-identity an externalization of subjectivity. As the ultimate goal of one's subjectivity is performativity, affecting change and action and fulfillments of real life needs and desires... to what extent can the Nietzschean ideal of Overman ('Uber mensch') be fulfilled through the existence of E-identity, 'living' in the (e)-world devoid of morals of its own?

What happens when the E-identity blurs with the real world?

Is E-identity a performance? According to Schechner, performances are recognized as having beginnings, middles and endings. Where does the performance of E-identity begin and end?
What are its boundaries?

Our response:

We think that the (e)-world is capable of fulfilling the ideal of Overman, however, achieving this ideal is not a result of an environment that is void of morals. Your point about the absence of morals doesn’t strike us as an accurate description of the (e)-world. While it may differ from the ‘real world,’ virtual reality is firstly, reflective or informed by the real world. In addition, it generates its own restrictive elements: conventions, codes of behavior, etc., which structure both the emergence of one’s E-dentity and the manner in which that extension of the self is performed.

Your third challenge seems to indicate that digital identity is not one of infinite possibilites after all because there are clear boundaries in the sense that, if we were to see it as a performance, it begins with you logging on, registering an account perhaps and choosing what to display, and ends when you log off. There is also the option of ending the performance by deleting said identity and editing it (costumes, props, characters).

We find it a lot more difficult to respond to your second challenge because, really, a number of things could happen when the boundary between the two worlds is blurred. There might be individuals who are so immersed in their E-dentities and want to retreat from the ‘real world,’ but we feel that the conditions that exist in the ‘real world’ are not completely escapable e.g. physical need for sustenance, sleep, technology failing you, etc.

Comment

We think that in responses above people were concentrating on how our lives are being intergated with virtual reality and how virutal reality becomes more real then the actual reality.

What this discussion opened up for us was the realization that nowadays technology brings us out of the small dark room attached to our computers, and our virtual realities. We are now entering the physical world, hand-in-hand with, but not always aware of virtual reality. For example, there are now surveillance cameras around every corner, space is augmented by chips, GPS and mobile phone technology, and we are asked to carry our student number with us wherever we go.

Now, without question, we carry our e-dentities with us in the actual physical world, as opposed to being bound to them in a virtual space, via our computers.

AMS Group C - FINAL POSTING Gule

(Our synthesis is at the end of this thread)

AMS Group C - DEFINITION Gule For Tampere Group C

KEYWORD: Gule
Language: Chichewa. A Malawian Language

1) In loose english translation this word means 'traditional dance'.

2) Gule refers to the combination of music (drumming, whistling etc.) song, dance and drama.

3) Unlike the separation in European performing arts disciplines, Gule in Malawian context sees the elements of music, dance and drama as inseparable. For example, during a dance, drama with identifiable characters and a clear narration becomes part of it.

Posted by: Lonneke, Mele, Catherine

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn CHALLENGE [Gule] for WAR Group C

AMS Group C - DEFINITION Gule For Tampere Group C
KEYWORD: Gule
Language: Chichewa. A Malawian Language
3) Unlike the separation in European performing arts disciplines, Gule in Malawian context sees the elements of music, dance and drama as inseparable. For example, during a dance, drama with identifiable characters and a clear narration becomes part of it.

1. We would first like to challenge the point that European performing arts traditions separate the different performance forms of music, dance and drama as clearly as it may seem on first consideration. We would like to give classical ballet as an example which combines the three forms, with orchestral music, dance, and mime combined into a single performance.

2. Our second consideration is not so much a challenge, but we would like to raise the point that many Asian performance traditions are similar to Gule in Malawi, in that they also combine many peformance forms - an example would be the traditional Khon of Thailand. Furthermore, traditional Asian performance forms often have a spiritual aspect, adding yet another layer to the performance.

3. Another example from Africa, of a performance form that combines many elements - the Bangoura.

WAR Group C RESPONSE [GULE] for AMS Group C

New Response:
We agree with your initial challenge in that European practices have a long tradition of a syncretic approach to performance dating back from Greek tragedy. The line can be followed through to Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk which has in turn influenced many 20th century practitioners.
However, we are wary of seeing the fusion of art forms involved in gule, ballet, Khon, and Bangoura, and other performance practices as necessarily adding artistic value. To pursue this synthesized approach for its own ends without context and content could well result in a weaker final product in which each individual art form suffers. Performances where a synthesis of individual art forms are brought together under the guise of transcultural interaction, as in a 'cultural collage' where performance practices are sometimes combined without concern for context or content, can do more harm than good. If a practitioner wishes to utilize a fusion of various cultural forms they must do so with the respect and understanding of all the traditions they wish to assimilate. A full synthesis of performance is not always the best; each art form contains its own virtues too.

FINAL POSTING/SYNTHESIS by: Lonneke, Catherine, Mele

What has happened in this proces of posting and responding today? We can take this as a sociological test-case for intercultural dialogue.

Tampere contested the point that European performing arts traditions are separated in disciplines by using the example of ballet. However, the point we were making in the beginning was that the west tends to taxonomise the arts into seperate disciplines, of which ballet is one (it has a very strong emphasis on dance and is thus taxonomised). Gule does not fit in this taxonomy. The challenge to the international scholar is to be aware of these differences and find ways to address them. Most importantly to find a suitable theoretical framework for analysis.
We would also like to thank Tampere for providing examples of other similar performative traditions in other parts of the world.

Warwick compared Gule to the Wagnerian Gesamtkuntswerk and applied this to the intercultural theatre practice. It is interesting to note that both Gesamtkunstwerk and the contemporary intercultural theatre practice have a creator-based process, thus an emphasis on a unified “director/creator” vision. Here we see fundamental paradigmatic difference between the notion of Gule in its Malawi context as an intrinsically integrated concept, and the Gesamtkunstwerk as an aesthetics put forward as a theory.

To conclude:
If we go beyond the exercise of defining and challenging definition, and If we put these discussions in the context of our objectives in MAIPR, we could propose the investigation of Gule as a framework for production-making and theory.

Warwick Group A Response (Minority) AMS Group A

Minority.

The last post we made seems to have loaded up and then deleted itself. We're not sure what happened, so sorry! We'll try and keep the points we made brief.

1) For a minority to exist there has to be a point of reference by which that minority can be established as such. For example, in Singapore homosexuals are a minority because the power politics work to create a majority by which that minority can be established.

2) What about the Sydney Mardi Gras? At this festival Homosexual men and women constitute the majority whereas Heterosexuals, in contrast, are the 'minority'. Outside of this festival these binaries are not so much reversed as abolished.

3) As such, the term 'minority' is a relative concept. It is dependent on a point of reference in order to give it meaning.

Please see this link below of Sydney's mardi gras:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QlhCqGBwJY

I apologise for this abridged version. The last one was pretty expansive! But hopefully this has helped to clarify our points!

WAR Group B COMMENT medium final posting

TAM Group B’s response: This is what Amsterdam challenged us

Perhaps this hypothetical performance was recorded for archival purposes, now the digital media (a derivative of medium) is the medium for a new host of spectators to receive the performance.

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=5330092731&oid=20958116280


According to Plato words medium will make the performance a copy of copy, thus less than ideal and loses its original value. Walter Benjamin says that in this way it loses its ''aura". The digital media archive, while perhaps currently the best archival method for performance available, still does not do justice to capturing the initial "aura" of the live performance.

Our comments:

We think that technology does not automatically destroy art; it changes it, but that does not mean that there is a devaluation of art. Recordings or mechanical reproductions create an experience that may deviate from what the original offers. However, technologically-driven mediums are not empty. For example, archival materials can be distributed, reaching a wider audience of potential spectators, and can preserve events that would otherwise evaporate from memory. Digital media also presents performers with something new to work with and respond to.

It would be beneficial for us, in engaging with different types of media, to be conscious of their differences and not think that they are interchangeable with one another. Digital media does not replace live performance, nor does it dismantle it. Art adapts and our expectations have to adapt with it.

To end off, the discussion so far has focused on one particular definition of the word, but our group is aware of the other definitions and uses of the term and find those equally interesting, as well e.g "physical material or form used by artist, composer, etc." or "person claiming to communicate with the dead." Perhaps something for future discussions?

TAM Group A end report FINAL POSTING

There has been some misunderstanding and we haven't got neighter challenges or responses for the definition of our word 'minority.' So, unfortunately, we cannot comment it now, but if something comes during the day, we'll give our best!

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn COMMENT Final Posting

In this discussion, flow has been developed into the concept of group flow. This has been applied to aesthetic experience (e.g. in the theatre) and religious experience - experiencing flow as a group is neither positive nor negative. However, where we have to be careful is in situations where group flow can be used to manipulate, such as in religious brainwashing.



This has been a wonderful and insighful discussion. Thank you all in Warwick and Amsterdam!

AMS Group A (Loreto, Olga, and Ty) COMMENT (Traducir - To Translate) final posting

OUR COMMENTS BELOW

AMS Group A DEFINITION (Traducir - To Translate) for TAM Group A
“Traducir” From Spanish:1) to translate (from one language on another)2) to interpret, interpret 3) to express, transfer (feelings, thoughts)1) algo an algo; de algo; en algo to translate that on (some language); with (some language); (the good; bad language)2) to understand; to interpret; to comprehend3) algo (en algo) to express that (than; in what); to reflect that (in what); to transfer that (than)4) to translate 2) to interpret, interpret(ABBY Lingvo dictionary)Translate:to render in another languageto express in different words; paraphraseto change from one form, function or state to another; convert or transformto express in another medium.(American Heritage Dictionary)to turn from one language into another or from a foreign language into one’s own.to change the form, condition, nature, etc.of; transform; convert.to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.(Dictionary.com)From: Benjamin, Walter. "The Task of the Translator.""Translation is a mode. To comprehend it as mode one must go back to the original, for that contains the law governing the translation: it's translatability.""... any translation which intends to perform a transmitting function cannot transmit anything but information-- hence something inessential. This is the hallmark of bad translations."

TAM Group A CHALLENGE (Traducir - to translate) for WAR Group A
Every performance expresses something (an idea, metaphor) in their own (different) words, changes forms, emotions into other forms or emotions and expresses them through different medium.So, from this point of view, is performance just a translation or is it an interpretation?And where is the border between these two?If translation includes interpretation and transformation is it an art or a craft?And is there more performativity or theatricality in translation process?In Russian the word "translyatsiya" means "broadcast" (e.g. football broadcast on TV, etc.). So, in this case "translation" is not more than just "transmitting" images, pictures as they are. One Russian director while making a movie based on Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" said: "All I wanted to do is to preserve original text." So, is this movie just a "translation"? And is it possible for a performance to be just a translation?

WAR Group A Response ('Traducir') AMS Group A
Keyword: Traducir (Translation).Please find below the previous posts:"So, from this point of view, is performance just a translation or is it an interpretation?And where is the bordrer between these two? If translation includes interpretation and transformation is it an art or a craft? And is there more performativity or theatricality in translation process? In Russian the word "translyatsiya" means "broadcast" (e.g. football broadcast on TV, etc.). So, in this case "translation" is not more than just "transmitting" images, pictures as they are.One Russian director while making a movie based on Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" said:"All I wanted to do is to preserve original text."So, is this movie just a "translation"? And is it possible for a performance to be just a translation?it so is there performance at all.Does the visual apparatus work as theWhere is theShould a translation"and"“Traducir” From Spanish:1) to translate (from one language on another)2) to interpret, interpret 3) to express, transfer (feelings, thoughts)1) algo an algo; de algo; en algo to translate that on (some language); with (some language); (the good; bad language)2) to understand; to interpret; to comprehend3) algo (en algo) to express that (than; in what); to reflect that (in what); to transfer that (than)4) to translate 2) to interpret, interpret(ABBY Lingvo dictionary) Translate:to render in another language to express in different words; paraphrase to change from one form, function or state to another; convert or transform to express in another medium.(American Heritage Dictionary)to turn from one language imto another or from a foreign language into one’s own. to change the form, condition, nature, etc.of; transform; convert. to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.(Dictionary.com)From: Benjamin, Walter. "The Task of the Translator.""Translation is a mode. To comprehend it as mode one must go back to the original, for that contains the law governing the translation: it's translatability.""... any translation which intends to perform a transmitting function cannot transmit anything but information-- hence something inessential. This is the hallmark of bad translations."Right.We were interested in applying reception theory. What the audience brings to a particular performance will affect the way in which they interpret that performance. It will affect the way in which they translate that performance.Lets take in to account the process of 'transmission'. By this we mean the projection of meaning from a performer to a spectator. What goes between sender and receiver. Both are translating. Transmission might be that flow of information from the performer to the spectator. Translation is the process of dealing with this transmitted information.The performer undergoes a similar process. S/he might translate the information transmitted from, for example, a script and, in turn, the script writer.Now it gets complicated. What about the performer's process of observing the spectators? This blurs the flow of information. The performer turns into a spectator and the spectator into a performer. The transmission of information is reversed. And here begins a far deeper relationship between performer and spectator. We want to refer you here to Kierkegaard's Ram that Sruti Bala referred to in her lecture this morning.Where might Augusto Boal fit in? Might his theatrical process work to reveal this relationship between performer and spectator? The boundaries are blurred. Please refer to invisible theatre in his book, 'Theatre of the Oppressed' or 'Rainbow of Desire'.

COMMENTS:

We want to emphasize the word traducir, as verb, as an action word, which can mean the translation of one language into another, or from one state to another. That transition / translation from one language / state / form to another is a creative process. In this process, the essence of the original, in a Benjaminian sense, is maintained. As he says, one can never duplicate the original. It doesn’t make sense, especially in creative practices, especially in performance. But that doesn’t mean we can’t translate the essence.

We also want to assert that even before Augusto Boal, the lines of transmission between performers and spectators have always been blurred. Even in the most conventional theatre, the actors “read” and “translate” the responses of their audience and are influenced by these cues. This is what makes performances alive and immediate and unique.

Thank you, everyone, for the incisive comments.

AMS Group C - RESPONSE Flow

For TAMPERE Group C:

Examples of flow as a group experience
‘To go with the flow’, meaning conforming to a group, is not contradictory to a personal state of flow. The loss of ego, that Csíkszentmihályi proposes can also be an extension of the self to a group.

a. Esthetic experience
For example, in the theatre the intense concentration of actors and audience can produce the sensation of flow. Also, a group can break the individual esthetic experience when the group is not ‘in flow’ or the concentration is low.

b. Religious experience
To be immersed in a religious activity with others can produce a communal state of flow. Here, the person ‘is totally absorbed in the activity’ as a personal psycholgical experience, but also ‘going with the flow’ can also give the intense personal flow experiences.

In itself, the experience of flow is neither negative or positive. This contradicts Csíkszentmihályi who regards flow as the key to happiness or well-being. But group flow can be used to achieve a negative or positive goal. For example in religious brainwashing an individual can be caught up in a group ideology where he/she loses grasp on reality.

Posted by: Lonneke, Mele, Catherine

Tampere Group B Comment to Warwick Group B

Thank you to Amsterdam and Warwick to their very interesting contribution to the definition of the word transition. It's been enlighting to discover that the two varying ways in which we have interpreted this word. We now see '' transition' as both a verb (being in transition, continual process, etc.) as well as a noun ( only one instance of significance, not continous,)

Together we have produced a much more encompassing definition of 'transition' and it 's possible contextualized meanings.

Thank you all!
Hetta, Tory, Milan.

WAR Group C COMMENT [FLOW] final posting

Challenge [FLOW] from AMS Group C:

"We feel that in contemporary times disruption is a value (esthetic, academic, performative) which is equally valid . . . How is this reflected in contemporary theatre and other arts? Now we see disruptions in traditional narrative, design and other dramatic elements as important esthetic modus."

Response [FLOW] from TAM Group C:

This is an extremely valid point, which brings to our minds the continuing tensions regarding the status of graffiti as an art among parties of differing opinions. Several years ago, it was decided that a wall on which graffiti had been officially allowed should be painted over. Here is a link to a report on the incident: http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20001031IE18

We understand that just several weeks ago, a similar incident happened, which shows the continuing negotiations, or disruptions, of the "flow" of what is considered "art".

Final COMMENT [FLOW] from WAR Group C:

The most cogent dynamic that this process drew up was the one between 'flow' and 'disruption' which was presented in the challenge from AMS Group C. It's interesting to conceive of how 'flow' (a naturally fluid, consistent, and smooth process) was naturally opposed by 'disruption' which is an immediate, active, and localized intervention. This seemed to imply that the 'flows' here are conceived as large cultural currents which can be protested by small external individual forces, not for example by a 'counter-flow'. Hence, graffiti as a method of social disobedience is an individual intervention in the form of a disruption whereas graffiti as an art form was opposed by a larger cultural flow emanating from the government which quite literally 'whitewashed' the art form.

Perhaps a question to follow on from this 'flow' thread would be to pick up on our original definition in relation to the challenge and response. We noted that 'flows' can exist on a micro and macro scale, for instance within a theatre building or across continents. In general the responses dealt with larger 'performances'; we wonder how the dynamic of 'flow' and 'disruption' would work on a smaller scale.

Many thanks to AMS Group 3 and TAM Group 3 for their insightful comments. We look forward to continuing the discussions :)
Posted by Stu, Michelle, and Keith.

AMS B Response (Transition) for Tam B

We agree with the students from Warwick, in that examining Aristotle's concept of anagnorisis (discover) is perhaps too limiting. Transition is about the in between and moving from one state to another and no longer has to be limited to movement between polarities and extremes.

We want to consider the concept of peripety, or reversal of fates, that Aristotle posed to go hand in hand with anagnorisis. Aristotle discussed 'good' tragedies having BOTH anagnorisis and peripety, for both must be present in order for a tragic hero to become a "hero".

But many Aristotelian ideas have gone through "transitons" over time. Take catharsis, in the Brechtian sense. Is it a transition or is it a final state?

We also found that what is really beatiful about transition is it's liminality. Directors and choreographers work endlessly to create effortless and smooth transitions. What makes a performative transition smooth, is precisely the quality that makes us not notice. The more invisible and liminal a transition becomes, the more it is appreciated.

Tampere Group B Response for Warrick B (Medium)

This is what Amsterdam challenged us

Perhaps this hypothetical performance was recorded for archival purposes, now the digital media (a derivative of medium) is the medium for a new host of spectators to receive the performance.

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=5330092731&oid=20958116280


According to Plato words medium will make the performance a copy of copy, thus less than ideal and loses its original value. Walter Benjamin says that in this way it loses its ''aura". The digital media archive, while perhaps currently the best archival method for performance available, still does not do justice to capturing the initial "aura" of the live performance.

WAR Group B RESPONSE E-dentity for AMS Group B

Keyword: ‘E-dentity’ (Keith)

DEFINITION (inc. source):
‘E-dentity’, online identity, and digital identity were not found in any reputable dictionaries I consulted. These are the definitions I found that address the term I’m calling ‘e-dentity’

Digital identity - The electronic representation of a real-world entity. The term is usually taken to mean the online equivalent of an individual human being, which participates in electronic transactions on behalf of the person in question. However, a broader definition also assigns digital identities to organizations, companies, and even individual electronic devices.


Digital identity refers to the aspect of digital technology that is concerned with the mediation of people's experience of their own identity and the identity of other people and things. Digital identity also has another common usage as the digital representation of a set of claims made by one digital subject about itself or another digital subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_identity

Online identity is a social identity that network users establish in online communities. Although some people prefer to use their real names online, most Internet users prefer to identify themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information.
In some online contexts, including Internet forums, MUDs, instant messaging, and massively multiplayer online games, users can represent themselves visually by choosing an avatar, an icon-sized graphic image. As other users interact with an established online identity, it acquires a reputation, which enables them to decide whether the identity is worthy of trust.

Here is the challenge of E-identity!

Say we were to consider E-identity an externalization of subjectivity. As the ultimate goal of one's subjectivity is performativity, affecting change and action and fulfillments of real life needs and desires... to what extent can the Nietzschean ideal of Overman ('Uber mensch') be fulfilled through the existence of E-identity, 'living' in the (e)-world devoid of morals of its own?

What happens when the E-identity blurs with the real world?

Is E-identity a performance? According to Schechner, performances are recognized as having beginnings, middles and endings. Where does the performance of E-identity begin and end?
What are its boundaries?

Our response:

We think that the (e)-world is capable of fulfilling the ideal of Overman, however, achieving this ideal is not a result of an environment that is void of morals. Your point about the absence of morals doesn’t strike us as an accurate description of the (e)-world. While it may differ from the ‘real world,’ virtual reality is firstly, reflective or informed by the real world. In addition, it generates its own restrictive elements: conventions, codes of behavior, etc., which structure both the emergence of one’s E-dentity and the manner in which that extension of the self is performed.

Your third challenge seems to indicate that digital identity is not one of infinite possibilites after all because there are clear boundaries in the sense that, if we were to see it as a performance, it begins with you logging on, registering an account perhaps and choosing what to display, and ends when you log off. There is also the option of ending the performance by deleting said identity and editing it (costumes, props, characters).

We find it a lot more difficult to respond to your second challenge because, really, a number of things could happen when the boundary between the two worlds is blurred. There might be individuals who are so immersed in their E-dentities and want to retreat from the ‘real world,’ but we feel that the conditions that exist in the ‘real world’ are not completely escapable e.g. physical need for sustenance, sleep, technology failing you, etc.

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn RESPONSE [Flow] for WAR Group C

Challenge [FLOW] from AMS Group C:

"We feel that in contemporary times disruption is a value (esthetic, academic, performative) which is equally valid . . . How is this reflected in contemporary theatre and other arts? Now we see disruptions in traditional narrative, design and other dramatic elements as important esthetic modus."

This is an extremely valid point, which brings to our minds the continuing tensions regarding the status of graffiti as an art among parties of differing opinions. Several years ago, it was decided that a wall on which graffiti had been officially allowed should be painted over. Here is a link to a report on the incident: http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20001031IE18

We understand that just several weeks ago, a similar incident happened, which shows the continuing negotiations, or disruptions, of the "flow" of what is considered "art".

AMS Group A (Loreto, Olga, and Ty) CHALLENGE ("It') for TAM Group A

While we agree with Warwick's abstract and expansive definition of “it,” we want to argue that “it” can also be a concrete notion, because in some particular examples “it” appears as a specification of that object. We could bring a simple example: “The book lay on the table. It has been already read.” So in this instance, “it” refers to something specific.

We also want to return to Joseph Roach’s definition of “it” as “precondition of celebrity”: charisma, presence, aura, etc. But even this narrow usage of the word is very problematic. Who has “it”? Can we say that Britney Spears has “it”? Can we copy “it”? Would a Britney Spears impersonator embody the real Britney Spears’ “it”? And who determines who has “it”?

Finally, we want to point out that “it” is a very specific word in English. But in some languages, such as Spanish or Russian, the notion of “it” as we are using it in English does not exist. We use not one, but many words, to denote a concrete “it.”

AMS Group C - CHALLENGE FLow

Challenge for TAM Group C:

Flow

In the context of ‘movement’ as development and progress (Sloterdijk) flow seems to be imbedded a in a reactionary position. We feel that in contemporary times disruption is a value (esthetic, academic, performative) which is equally valid. In history major developments and progress have been triggered by social/cultural/political disruptions.
How is this reflected in contemporary theatre and other arts? Now we see disruptions in traditional narrative, design and other dramatic elements as important esthetic modus.

Aren’t definitions 1. ‘to move with a continual change of place among the constituent particles.’ and 2. ‘to be present in abundance’ both reactionary characteristics in their implicit goal to maintain a certain status quo?

Posted by: Lonneke, Mele, Catherine

TAM Group A RESPONSE [it] for WAR Group A

We agree that it varies in different languages and we find that question interesting. However there is one more question we would like to raise. In the definition given by the Helsinki group, IT was defined as charisma, personal charm, etc. So, if there are already existing words for such special characteristics of individuals, why are we hiding them behind the word it? Is IT a way to mystify something which in reality maybe even isn't that ephemeral?
Isn't "It" just a universal idea (one Plato spoke about)? Like "beauty" which can be embodied in a nice girl/handsome boy passing by, or in Mona Lisa, or in cows chewing grass on the meadow (depends on individual/culture, etc.) But what IS important, is that every time we say "It", no matter relating to an inanimate object or charisma, we ourselves always know what we are talking about, what image WE have at this certain moment.

AMS Group A (Loreto, Olga, and Ty) CHALLENGE ("It') for TAM Group A
While we agree with Warwick's abstract and expansive definition of “it,” we want to argue that “it” can also be a concrete notion, because in some particular examples “it” appears as a specification of that object. We could bring a simple example: “The book lay on the table. It has been already read.” So in this instance, “it” refers to something specific.We also want to return to Joseph Roach’s definition of “it” as “precondition of celebrity”: charisma, presence, aura, etc. But even this narrow usage of the word is very problematic. Who has “it”? Can we say that Britney Spears has “it”? Can we copy “it”? Would a Britney Spears impersonator embody the real Britney Spears’ “it”? And who determines who has “it”? Finally, we want to point out that “it” is a very specific word in English. But in some languages, such as Spanish or Russian, the notion of “it” as we are using it in English. We use not one, but many words, to denote a concrete “it.”


WAR Group A Definition ('IT'). For AMS Group A
Day 3: Response to Helsinki Keyword 'It'. Part 1... Definition.We really enjoyed your work following Joseph Roach's book “It.”'It' is a troublesome word, primarily because of its more common usage.Alternative definition following from your post: "it: (pronoun) 1) used to refer to an animal or thing that has already been mentioned or that is being talked about now".In Eritrea, the word 'it' can often refer to a target. In performance, 'it' can be the goal or the end result.'It', again in performance, or to clarify 'political performance', can refer to that abstract space of understanding and efficaciousness. For example. The issue of female circumssion. 'It' can refer to the audience gaining access to a fuller understanding of the issue by reaching this abstract space. By reaching the target, the goal etc.'It' can be an object or subject (even an ideology). It is important to clarify that this is an abstract concept. But an abstract concept that is mailable to the subject/object referred to. Like a chameleon, 'it' can change its skin colour. Though the bones, the structure, the building blocks, of the abstract 'it' is fixed, the flesh and blood and skin of that abstract concept can be molded accordingly, dependent on the subject/object referred to. 'It' can bring something past or future into the present. 'It' makes a subject or object immediate. Use of the word 'it' can affect and even perhaps manipulate the object or subject referred to by means of presnet circumstances, be they sociological, psychological, political, cultrual etc. So use of the word 'it' can taint the object/subject referred to.

WAR Group C RESPONSE [GULE] for AMS Group C

Original Definition:

AMS Group C - DEFINITION Gule For Tampere Group C
KEYWORD: Gule
Language: Chichewa. A Malawian Language
3) Unlike the separation in European performing arts disciplines, Gule in Malawian context sees the elements of music, dance and drama as inseparable. For example, during a dance, drama with identifiable characters and a clear narration becomes part of it.

Original Challenge

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn CHALLENGE [Gule] for WAR Group C

1. We would first like to challenge the point that European performing arts traditions separate the different performance forms of music, dance and drama as clearly as it may seem on first consideration. We would like to give classical ballet as an example which combines the three forms, with orchestral music, dance, and mime combined into a single performance.

2. Our second consideration is not so much a challenge, but we would like to raise the point that many Asian performance traditions are similar to Gule in Malawi, in that they also combine many peformance forms - an example would be the traditional Khon of Thailand. Furthermore, traditional Asian performance forms often have a spiritual aspect, adding yet another layer to the performance.

3. Another example from Africa, of a performance form that combines many elements - the Bangoura.

New Response: We agree with your initial challenge in that European practices have a long tradition of a syncretic approach to performance dating back from Greek tragedy. The line can be followed through to Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk which has in turn influenced many 20th century practitioners.
However, we are wary of seeing the fusion of art forms involved in gule, ballet, Khon, and Bangoura, and other performance practices as necessarily adding artistic value. To pursue this synthesized approach for its own ends without context and content could well result in a weaker final product in which each individual art form suffers. Performances where a synthesis of individual art forms are brought together under the guise of transcultural interaction, as in a 'cultural collage' where performance practices are sometimes combined without concern for context or content, can do more harm than good. If a practitioner wishes to utilize a fusion of various cultural forms they must do so with the respect and understanding of all the traditions they wish to assimilate. A full synthesis of performance is not always the best; each art form contains its own virtues too.

AMS Group B Challenge (Medium) for TAM B

Which arm belongs to Venus de Milo?

We are responding to the definition of medium [3. Physical material or form used by artist, composer, etc.] by juxtaposing it with "a particular form of storage for digitized information, such as magnetic tape or discs" (definition for medium found in New Oxford American Dictionary).

Using the example of theatre and performance, we find that scripts and performances can be mediums for storage and archiving; however, once a performance ends--once the curtains fall--it is irrevocably lost. Performance is a medium for communication between actor/director and spectator/audience, but the medium is lost when the performance ends. Perhaps this hypothetical performance was recorded for archival purposes, now the digital media (a derivative of medium) is the medium for a new host of spectators to receive the performance.

We find that medium for performance and art is quite vast, while the word medium is simultaneously quite limited when referring to storage. Yet this is the same word...

If an artist sculpts with the medium of clay, but no one is there to look at it (to receive the performance or image), is clay still a medium?

WAR Group B CHALLENGE transition for AMS Group B

Transition

Original/ general definition is:

process of change of one form of state, style or place to another.

Refine:

Aristotle's 'anagnorisis' - transition of the tragic hero's state of mind from ignorance to knowledge, learning something about the plot and themselves.

Challenge:

Our group finds the refining definition too finalized a state. The kind of transition that brings about anagnorisis is more about being initiated into a new state and frame of mind than moving from point to point. After the realization and insight is obtained, there is a sense of stability and finality that accompanies anagnorisis. Transition, for us, is more closely affiliated with on-going movement and fluidity. Transition allows for both regression and progress, while anagnorisis is not supposed to include regression as a possibility.

In addition, anagnorisis carries with it an intrinsically positive connotation that is not inherent in transition. Transitions can be multi-directional, and do not always propel a social actor towards progress or enlightenment.



Both the general definition and the refinement seem to place emphasis on things being in one state or another or going from one state to another. We feel that it is equally important to be conscious of the states of in-betweenness or liminality that comes with transitions. It might be more beneficial to approach the term without thinking in polarities e.g. unknowing and knowing.

Tampere Group B Challenge (Hetta, Milan, Tory) to Warwick group B

Here is the challenge of E-identity!

Say we were to consider E-identity an externalization of subjectivity. As the ultimate goal of one's subjectivity is performativity, affecting change and action and fulfillments of real life needs and desires... to what extent can the Nietzschean ideal of Overman ('Uber mensch') be fulfilled through the existence of E-identity, 'living' in the (e)-world devoid of morals of its own?

What happens when the E-identity blurs with the real world?

Is E-identity a performance? According to Schechner, performances are recognized as having beginnings, middles and endings. Where does the performance of E-identity begin and end?
What are its boundaries?

WAR Group C CHALLENGE [FLOW} for AMS Group C

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn DEFINITION [Flow] for WAR Group C FLOW (v.):

1. to move along in a stream: The river flowed slowly to the sea.
2. to circulate: blood flowing through one's veins.
3. to stream or well forth: Warmth flows from the sun.
4. to issue or proceed from a source: Orders flowed from the office.
5. to menstruate.
6. to come or go as in a stream: A constant stream of humanity flowed by.
7. to proceed continuously and smoothly: Melody flowed from the violin.
8. to hang loosely at full length: Her hair flowed over her shoulders.
9. to abound in something: The tavern flowed with wine.
10. to rise and advance, as the tide (opposed to ebb).

Flow (Psychology):
the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity (Mihály Csíkszentmihályi 1990).

Challenge: Of the above definitions we’d like to focus on the psychological concept offered by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi as it offers a different path from the definition of 'flow' that we sent to Amsterdam. Looking at the etymology of Csíkszentmihályi 's theory in more depth: "Flow is so named because during Csíkszentmihályi's 1975 interviews several people described their 'flow' experiences using the metaphor of a water current carrying them along.[2] The psychological concept of flow as becoming absorbed in an activity is thus unrelated to the older phrase "to go with the flow" which means "to conform"." This seems to suggest that one experiences a false passivity during a state of 'flow', evidenced by the use of the analogy to water, which relates to definitions 1 and 6 from above. We would contend that this may perhaps raise concerns about the experience of 'flow' and the ability to measure one's responses and feelings in this state. Two of Csíkszentmihályi's components of flow are "A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness, the merging of action and awareness" and "Distorted sense of time, one's subjective experience of time is altered". Therefore, this would seem to indicate that an accurate portrayal of what the true state of 'flow' is can be hard to measure, or in fact impossible to understand outside of a highly subjective account.

Interestingly, Csíkszentmihályi also proposes a notion of 'group flow' in which members work together to achieve 'flow'. The methods for achieving this goal appear to involve several highly performative aspects, including working on one's feet, etc which is a stark contrast to the perceived image of the psychiatrist's couch. This is interesting to consider in how it relates to the very different definitions of 'flow'.

WAR Group A Comment ('IT') TAM Group A

We agree that it varies in different languages and we find that question interesting. However there is one more question we would like to raise. In the definition given by the Helsinki group, IT was defined as charisma, personal charm, etc. So, if there are already existing words for such special characteristics of individuals, why are we hiding them behind the word it? Is IT a way to mystify something which in reality maybe even isn't that ephemeral?Isn't "It" just a universal idea (one Plato spoke about)? Like "beauty" which can be embodied in a nice girl/handsome boy passing by, or in Mona Lisa, or in cows chewing grass on the meadow (depends on individual/culture, etc.) But what IS important, is that every time we say "It", no matter relating to an inanimate object or charisma, we ourselves always know what we are talking about, what image WE have at this certain moment.AMS Group A (Loreto, Olga, and Ty) CHALLENGE ("It') for TAM Group AWhile we agree with Warwick's abstract and expansive definition of “it,” we want to argue that “it” can also be a concrete notion, because in some particular examples “it” appears as a specification of that object. We could bring a simple example: “The book lay on the table. It has been already read.” So in this instance, “it” refers to something specific.We also want to return to Joseph Roach’s definition of “it” as “precondition of celebrity”: charisma, presence, aura, etc. But even this narrow usage of the word is very problematic. Who has “it”? Can we say that Britney Spears has “it”? Can we copy “it”? Would a Britney Spears impersonator embody the real Britney Spears’ “it”? And who determines who has “it”? Finally, we want to point out that “it” is a very specific word in English. But in some languages, such as Spanish or Russian, the notion of “it” as we are using it in English. We use not one, but many words, to denote a concrete “it.”WAR Group A Definition ('IT'). For AMS Group ADay 3: Response to Helsinki Keyword 'It'. Part 1... Definition.We really enjoyed your work following Joseph Roach's book “It.”'It' is a troublesome word, primarily because of its more common usage.Alternative definition following from your post: "it: (pronoun) 1) used to refer to an animal or thing that has already been mentioned or that is being talked about now".In Eritrea, the word 'it' can often refer to a target. In performance, 'it' can be the goal or the end result.'It', again in performance, or to clarify 'political performance', can refer to that abstract space of understanding and efficaciousness. For example. The issue of female circumssion. 'It' can refer to the audience gaining access to a fuller understanding of the issue by reaching this abstract space. By reaching the target, the goal etc.'It' can be an object or subject (even an ideology). It is important to clarify that this is an abstract concept. But an abstract concept that is mailable to the subject/object referred to. Like a chameleon, 'it' can change its skin colour. Though the bones, the structure, the building blocks, of the abstract 'it' is fixed, the flesh and blood and skin of that abstract concept can be molded accordingly, dependent on the subject/object referred to. 'It' can bring something past or future into the present. 'It' makes a subject or object immediate. Use of the word 'it' can affect and even perhaps manipulate the object or subject referred to by means of presnet circumstances, be they sociological, psychological, political, cultrual etc. So use of the word 'it' can taint the object/subject referred to.

Its been great following all the responses to such an ambiguous word.

We've come to the conclusion that 'IT' has become a scapegoat for the language. It tells us something about one of two things:

1) The English language cannot cope with something so intangible (We don't agree with this!)

2) We as individuals struggle to cope with something so intangible (Much more likely).

So when we struggle to cope with a certain 'je ne sais quoi' (we are aware of the irony in using this term) we savage 'IT' and use 'IT' as a means to an end. 'IT' becomes a scapegoat for our inability to adequatly describe a particular state of an individual. For example, Marilyn Monroe had 'IT'. What do we mean? Marilyn Monroe had 'sex appeal', 'charisma' etc... Instead of using a whole host of words to give a clear indication of what 'IT' is we are trying to describe.

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn CHALLENGE [Gule] for WAR Group C

1. We would first like to challenge the point that European performing arts traditions separate the different performance forms of music, dance and drama as clearly as it may seem on first consideration. We would like to give classical ballet as an example which combines the three forms, with orchestral music, dance, and mime combined into a single performance.

2. Our second consideration is not so much a challenge, but we would like to raise the point that many Asian performance traditions are similar to Gule in Malawi, in that they also combine many peformance forms - an example would be the traditional Khon of Thailand.

Furthermore, traditional Asian performance forms often have a spiritual aspect, adding yet another layer to the performance.

3. Another example from Africa, of a performance form that combines many elements - the Bangoura:

WAR Group B DEFINITION medium for AMS Group B

medium, n.

1. Environment
2. Means of communication
3. Physical material or form used by artist, composer, etc.
4. Person claiming to communicate with the dead

(From the Little Oxford Dictionary)

medium, n.
the nutritive substance provided for the growth of a given organism in the laboratory.

(From A Dictionary of Genetics in Biological Sciences)

medium, n. and adj.
1. A middle quality, degree, or condition; something intermediate in nature or degree.
2. An intervening substance through which a force acts on objects at a distance or through which impressions are conveyed to the senses, as air, water, etc.

(From The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English in English Language Reference)

TAM Group A for WAR Group A

Minority

1 a: the period before attainment of majority b: the state of being a legal minor2: the smaller in number of two groups constituting a whole ; specifically : a group having less than the number of votes necessary for control3 a: a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment b: a member of a minority group
Source: Merriam-Webster


A minority or subordinate group is a sociological group that does not constitute a politically dominant voting majority of the total population of a given society. A sociological minority is not necessarily a numerical minority — it may include any group that is disadvantaged with respect to a dominant group in terms of social status, education, employment, wealth and political power.
Source: Wikipedia

TAM Group C Ua Kristina Jocelyn DEFINITION [Flow] for WAR Group C

FLOW (v.):

1. to move along in a stream: The river flowed slowly to the sea.
2. to circulate: blood flowing through one's veins.
3. to stream or well forth: Warmth flows from the sun.
4. to issue or proceed from a source: Orders flowed from the office.
5. to menstruate.
6. to come or go as in a stream: A constant stream of humanity flowed by.
7. to proceed continuously and smoothly: Melody flowed from the violin.
8. to hang loosely at full length: Her hair flowed over her shoulders.
9. to abound in something: The tavern flowed with wine.
10. to rise and advance, as the tide (opposed to ebb).

Flow (Psychology):
the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity (Mihály Csíkszentmihályi 1990).

AMS Group A DEFINITION (Traducir - To Translate) for TAM Group A

“Traducir”

From Spanish:
1) to translate (from one language on another)
2) to interpret, interpret 3) to express, transfer (feelings, thoughts)
1) algo an algo; de algo; en algo to translate that on (some language); with (some language); (the good; bad language)
2) to understand; to interpret; to comprehend
3) algo (en algo) to express that (than; in what); to reflect that (in what); to transfer that (than)
4) to translate 2) to interpret, interpret
(ABBY Lingvo dictionary)

Translate:
to render in another language
to express in different words; paraphrase
to change from one form, function or state to another; convert or transform
to express in another medium.
(American Heritage Dictionary)

to turn from one language imto another or from a foreign language into one’s own.
to change the form, condition, nature, etc.of; transform; convert.
to explain in terms that can be more easily understood; interpret.
(Dictionary.com)


From: Benjamin, Walter. "The Task of the Translator."
"Translation is a mode. To comprehend it as mode one must go back to the original, for that contains the law governing the translation: it's translatability."

"... any translation which intends to perform a transmitting function cannot transmit anything but information-- hence something inessential. This is the hallmark of bad translations."

WAR Group C DEFINITION [FLOW] for AMS Group C

Keyword: Flow

Language: English

Merriam Webster online dictionary:

From the seven possible definitions Merriam lists, these are the two we find most applicable to our discussion:

1b: to move with a continual change of place among the constituent particles.

6: to derive from a source: come.

Chambers Online:

1: to move along like water.

Our inspiration for choosing these specific definitions from the lists provided relates to their transitional natures particularly with reference to the idea that both concepts and people can 'flow' between and within cultures on a larger scale and yet 'flow' can also be identified on a smaller scale of a single performance.

As a contrast, the Chambers Online also lists

6: to be present in abundance.

You may also wish to consider how this contrasting definition suggests the idea of 'flowing' can be purely quantitative.

Posted by: Stu, Michelle, and Keith.

Tampere group B ( Hetta, Milan, Tory) to Warwick group B

Transition

Original/ general definition is:

process of schange of one form of state, style or place to another.

Refine:

Aristotle's 'anagnorisis' - transition of the tragic hero's state of mind from ignorance to knowledge, learning something about the plot and themselves.

WAR Group A Definition ('IT'). For AMS Group A

Day 3: Response to Helsinki Keyword 'It'. Part 1... Definition.

We really enjoyed your work following Joseph Roach's book “It.”

'It' is a troublesome word, primarily because of its more common usage.

Alternative definition following from your post: "it: (pronoun) 1) used to refer to an animal or thing that has already been mentioned or that is being talked about now".

In Eritrea, the word 'it' can often refer to a target. In performance, 'it' can be the goal or the end result.
'It', again in performance, or to clarify 'political performance', can refer to that abstract space of understanding and efficaciousness. For example. The issue of female circumssion. 'It' can refer to the audience gaining access to a fuller understanding of the issue by reaching this abstract space. By reaching the target, the goal etc.

'It' can be an object or subject (even an ideology). It is important to clarify that this is an abstract concept. But an abstract concept that is mailable to the subject/object referred to. Like a chameleon, 'it' can change its skin colour. Though the bones, the structure, the building blocks, of the abstract 'it' is fixed, the flesh and blood and skin of that abstract concept can be molded accordingly, dependent on the subject/object referred to. 'It' can bring something past or future into the present. 'It' makes a subject or object immediate. Use of the word 'it' can affect and even perhaps manipulate the object or subject referred to by means of presnet circumstances, be they sociological, psychological, political, cultrual etc. So use of the word 'it' can taint the object/subject referred to.

AMS Group B(Helen, Joao, Jenna, Gargi) Definition (E-dentity) for TAM Group B

Keith Bennie's word:
'E-dentity', online identity, and digital identity were not found in any reputable dictionaries I consulted. These are the definitions I found that address the term I'm calling 'e-dentity'

Digital Identity: The electronic representation of a real-world entity. The term is usually taken to mean the online equivalent of an individual human being, which participates in electronic transactions on behalf of the person in question. However, a broader definition also assigns digital identities to organizations, companies, and even individual electronic devices.


Digital Identity: refers to the aspect of digital technology that is concerned with the mediation of people's experience of their own identity and the identity of other people and things. Digital identity also has another common usage as the digital representation of a set of claims made by one digital subject about itself or another digital subject.

Online Identity: is a social identity that network users establish in online communities. Although some people prefer to use their real names online, most Internet users prefer to identify themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying


E-dentity is separating yourself into two : self and e-self,
how clear is the devide between them? where is the line drawn?
Can e-dentity be defined as a borrowed identety?
Social/ e-scocial?

AMS Group C - DEFINITION Gule

For Tampere Group C

KEYWORD: Gule
Language: Chichewa. A Malawian Language

1) In loose english translation this word means 'traditional dance'.

2) Gule refers to the combination of music (drumming, whistling etc.) song, dance and drama.

3) Unlike the separation in European performing arts disciplines, Gule in Malawian context sees the elements of music, dance and drama as inseparable. For example, during a dance, drama with identifiable characters and a clear narration becomes part of it.

Posted by: Lonneke, Mele, Catherine

Response to BEAUTY by Group A (Helsinki)

Let's have a look at the subjectivity of perception... Human beauty as it appears and is perceived...

Pleasing and impressive qualities of something, pleasing personal appearance, fine example,excellent aspect of something, beautiful woman- these are all ways to define beauty. Still, what seems that this definition lacks and what is important to note is that whether something is considered as 'beauty' highly depends on individual taste or preferences and is often culturally determined:

What factors influence a person's perception of beauty? How do cultural ideas and ideals of beauty change over time?
The following excerpt addresses the question above. It comes from the book About Faces, by Terry Landau (Anchor Books, 1989), p. 216.
To give beauty a face and capture that elusive and ever changing value that we understand as beauty, video artist Nancy Burson created two composites. ``The First Beauty Composite'' is a combination of the great beauties of the 1950s: Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, and Marilyn Monroe. ``The Second Beauty Composite'' is a combination of Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Diane Keaton, Brooke Shields, and Meryl Streep. These videographic composite portraits capture and epitomize the differences in the ideal of the 1950s and that of the 1980s. Note, for example, the arched eyebrows and heavily made-up mouth of the fifties beauty versus the more ``generic'' natural look of the eighties.

One might also observe that the 1980s face looks younger and, perhaps, less Western European.

STAFF POSTING PIRKKO COURSE KEYWORDS

These are my keywords:

/Curation/ as definition cannot be found in my dictionaries.

/Curate /(verb): select, organize, and look after the items in (a
collection or exhibition). Derivatives: /Curation/ (noun). Origin:
back-formation from /curator/.

/Curator /(noun): a keeper of a museum or other collection. Derivatives:
/curatorial/ (adjective). Origin: Latin from curare ‘take care of’.

/(Compact Oxford English Dictionary.)/

/Curator/: the person in charge of a museum, library, etc.

/Curacy/: the office work of a curate.

/(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.)/

/Kuraattori /(Finnish word): huoltaja, valvoja. [guardian,
superintendent.]* *Several historical, legislative and educational
meanings, but not concerning museums and libraries. (/Nykysuomen
sanakirja/ 1966.)

* *

*“Curation*: taken from visual arts practice, refers to a range of
activities including management, design, and documentation of exhibits,
performances, or other formal events. May involve website design,
production documentation, gallery exhibit Curation, or program notes or
critique.” (MAIPR)

Helsinki Group C - Tory, Ua, Hetta: Second Repsonse to Amsterdam Keyword 'Falhanco'

And now, a small tribute to the more positive side of failure (drawing a connection to yet another keyword, 'beauty'), as quoted from Walter Benjamin's writings in Franz Kakfa: On the Tenth Anniversary of His Death.

"To do justice to the figure of Kafka in its purity and peculiar beauty one must never lose sight of one thing: it is the purity and beauty of a failure. The circumstances of this are manifold. One is tempted to say: once he was certain of eventual failure, everything worked out for him en route as in a dream. There is nothing more memorable than the fervor with which Kafka emphasized his failure."

Helsinki Group C - Tory, Ua, Hetta: Combined Response to Amsterdam Keywords 'Falhanco' and 'Ta-Da'.

We are intrigued by how 'Falhanco' and 'Ta-Da' as keywords, overlap in so many more ways than simply being listed next to each other on the blog.

Falhanco: "the act or effect of failing...mistake, something done wrongly that should not have been done."

Ta-Da: "exclamation; an imitation of a fanfare, used typically to call attention to an impressive entrance or a dramatic announcement...embrace and celebrate your mistakes, and then move on...the healing power of humour."

It is in the space between these two terms, where we find insight into the fascinating struggle of the positive versus the negative outlook of error and failure. For us, these words begged the question, are there some mistakes that have been made, that we simply can never entirely embrace and move on from? Can humour heal all wounds?

If we were to push the boundaries of the word 'falhanco', and look to some of the greatest examples of when humanity perhaps, failed itself, what would it look like juxtaposed with images of fanfare, celebration, and good old fashioned 'clowning around'?

Have we been, or are we ever able to make light of issues and incidents that have affected and devastated us transnationally? Even if one culture or sub-culture may eventually deem subject matter 'safe' for humourous reflection, is this mutual with all parties involved? In cases wherein one culture has been invaded or dominated by another, what strategies can the dominated culture use to first heal themselves, and then use humour to subvert the power of their dominators?

From the point of view of the dominator: is it ever appropriate or are there any frames wherein it is possible to joke about these scenarios?

The following images imbue the term 'clowning around' with different, and rather provactative shades of meaning, drawing parallels between the spectacle of circus, and the specatacle of destruction and disgust.