Open Call for an Expert in Residence at the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund for an interactive and large-scalecity game bySlovene National Theatre Nova Gorica
The Nova Gorica city game takes place in the framework of the ACuTe project. Supported by Creative Europe, ACuTe is a pioneering, large-scale European innovation project. Focusing on new technologies, cultural collaboration and skills development, ACuTe aims at revolutionizing the way theatre and performing arts are produced and performed.
General idea:
The Nova Gorica city game will use smartphones to send people from two citieswhonever met before on a mission where they will have to work together to solve amystery, save the world and get to know something new about theirinvisible neighbors.
Background:
Nova Goricais a relatively new city –it is less than 75 years old –and it was constructed after this territory was attributed to Yugoslaviaafter World War II and the borders between Italy and Slovenia were defined as they are today. Nova Gorica was created on the outskirts of Gorizia and the two now form a twin city conurbationwith Slovenian and Italian speaking communities.After the war the two communities were separated by a border between a West country and a country that was an integral part of the Non-aligned movement, meaning that this border represented a threshold not only between the Slavic and Latin world but also a delineation between two major ideologies. This divide is still felt today as the inhabitants of each city visit the other sparingly and mostly for economic purposes.However –before this divide the territory of Goriška region was mostly unified and historically multi ethnical. The society consisted of Slovenes, Italians, Friulians, Germans,and a Jewish community that communicated very well and worked as a whole.
The Project:
The aim of the project is to bring the communities of the two cities together in a theatrical gamified experience using smartphones as the vehicle for the adventure that helps people from the two parts of the city to meet and sends them on a fun adventure based on positive narratives from the territory’s history.
The Expert we are looking for:
To make this project a success we are looking for an expertwhohas strategic knowledge andpracticalexperience withlarge-scale location-basedgamingin the publicsphereand who additionally hastechnical knowledge ofapp-development.The expert will work closely with theatre director Jure Novak and dramaturg Marko Bratušfrom Slovene National Theatre Nova Goricain advising them strategically and conceptually. Together with the artistic team theexpert will develop the game mechanismsandwilloversee in an artistic-technical leading role the development of the smartphone-app. Furthermore,it will be the task of the expert to inventand integrate digital tools inthe game sphere. The idea is to use smart objects / interconnected objects which are embedded in the technical structure of the game to increase the interaction of the players. Also, the expert will collaborate with andguide a small group of studentsfrom the department of Creative Media & Game Technologies from Saxion Universityof Applied Sciences, who are also part of theproject.
Sustainability:
After the city game is over an interactive workshop will be createdby the expert to share all the knowledge and expertise gainedinthis project with students and professionalsalike.
Time frame and Locations:
The storyline and the gameplay will be developed between mid-September and November 2023. The ensuing programming and testing phase will go until spring 2024. The premiere of the project will take place at the end of June 2024.
The expert in residence willbe working at the Academy for Theatre and Digitalityin Dortmundfor the research&development phase of the project, as well as in Nova Goricafor the implementation and practical phase of the city game.The general time frameisbetween mid-September2023 and July 2024.More specificworkingperiodswill be definedwith the expert.
The Academy:
TheAcademy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund is a globally unique pilot project for digital innovation, artistic research and technology-oriented training and further education for all areas of the performing arts -on, in front of and behind the stage. It was founded 2019 as the sixth department of the publicly funded Theater Dortmund. Central to the work of the Academy are artistic and technical research, prototypical development, application-related testing, practical advice, cultural-political structural formation and networking at regional, national and international level between actors from culture, science and business.
How to apply:
If you want to be part ofthe Nova Gorica city gameprojectas our expert in residence, please send us yourCV and a letter of motivation via mail atacute@theater.digital until:
- Friday, September15th,2023
At the Academyweoffer:
- alively international research laboratory (research, development, production) in a versatile multi-discipline theatre company
- an open and diverse field of work (between numerous institutions from art, technology and science)
- dedicated teams in the varioustheatre departments
We aim to further increase our percentage of women and strongly encourage women to apply. We see ourselves as family-friendly and promote the compatibility of work and family. The Academy for Theatre and Digitality can be reached barrier-free. There is free parking available, an elevator, and a bathroom for people with disabilities. An individual office can be provided.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The team of the Academy for Theatre and Digitality