Led by Artistic Director, Joumana Mourad, the In-Finite project explores the different realities of the physical and virtual platforms.

In light of the revolutionary way communication has changed, In-Finite was born in 2011 to present new ways for the performance world to adapt.

Following people like you and me, IJAD set out to understand how we use technology in our daily lives and integrate this into every element of performance.

Secrets were chosen because everyone around the globe has one. We all keep them for the same reasons and they affect us in the same ways. The content changes depending on your culture, religion, gender, age, identity, job and so forth. This creates amazing commentary socially, politically, economically and personally.

As actor Mark Rylance says:
“If you’re an artist, a really useful thing to do is to look for secrets – things that are forbidden to be said. Maybe people are frightened of something, maybe they don’t have the words to express it, but those are the things that need to be said by theatre. That’s what it’s here for. Look for those secrets in society and inside yourself and give them a voice. That’s the role of an artist in our society.”

We received that quote from one of our followers on Facebook who saw it, thought of us, and shared it on our wall. This illustrates perfectly how technology can flower into a tool of artistic collaboration. We’re not just stopping there though – the relationship between creativity and technology goes much deeper…

·        From starting with user-generated content, asking for secrets from people around the globe in a way not possible a couple of decades ago

·        Using technology as part of the creative process, utilising how we interpret ideas through different lenses/mediums

·        Documenting the creative process so audiences can see how performance is developed from conception to completion

·        During a performance, showing live streaming from other parts of the world with other performers

·        Showing pre-edited film which captures another time, feeling and place – which affects this one

·        Asking the audience to get their smartphones, camera and tablets out to interpret what they are seeing and to share it across the web

·        Streaming the performance to a global audience – who can interact with each other and those present

·        Which enables people to view the whole process later, at their convenience.

This is part of sensography, a practice developed by IJAD which gives a 360 view of dancers performing without loss of emotional intensity. If you’ve ever filmed a band or a school play, you’ll know it’s not the same – we’re changing that.

The Arts Council has supported both our research and our launch alongside a range of projects nationwide which shows how performance can benefit as many people as possible through technology.

Dcms digital strategy
Digital giving in the arts

In-Finite. This describes both the limitless inside of the self where secrets hide. It describes the limitless potential for sharing the self with the world.

In. Finite.
Infinite.
In-Finite.

So how can you get involved?

We’ll be collecting secrets over the next few months. Donate your secret by tweeting to @shhh2013, right here, or by commenting on the blog below!

IJAD dance company has been looking at the role of technology in the dance world since 1999.  The company constantly poses questions about the best way to move forward with technology and dance and whether this could help to blur the boundaries between audience and performance.

Working with scientists, researchers, animators and technology companies over the years IJAD has worked with sensors, film and audio-visual technology. Here are just a few of our projects.

Labyrinth of the Senses

Here IJAD worked closely with multimedia experts to shape a new relationship between live performance and film. Multimedia projections provided a visual, virtual city – much more than a backdrop to the performance. The multimedia artists created computer generated graphics that responded and reacted to movement, in a true integration of technology, theatricality and raw physicality.

Little Red Riding Wolf

This was a site-specific performance held in a Japanese winery in Hwalian, combining machines and movement.
The derelict building came to life with music created by electrical saws, and lighting emitted from car headlights. In this piece time took another form, and space took another meaning – both lost their habitual references.

We continue to work closely with research and development in technology to push the parameters even further.  The current project looks at social media and the changing world of communication and interaction. Now more than ever, the lines between public and private, between audience and performance can be blurred, imagined and explored.

Can dance inform technology? How can this empower audiences? Join the conversation and find out how you can get involved in our next project (in just a couple of minutes!) over on Twitter @IJADdance.

This time it was the South Bank that hosted the IJADteam on a sunny Saturday.

Our Shhh gets bigger and bigger as more punters get curiously closer to our little corner of hidden stories – now equipped with lemonade and a coffee table!

We discovered that Saturdays and the Thames attract a quieter crowd that prefers writing rather than talking so our In-FInite webpage is now filled with new generous stories…

Our stand is only beginning its journey and maybe the next time you’ll be able to see it overseas… but it’s a big hush-hush for now, SHHH!

Follow us for more, pictures on Facebook and Twitter!

Sunday afternoon on Brick Lane market.

Stalls of clothes, furniture, food and… secrets!

The IJADteam set about on the sunny closing day of the Olympics for face to face social media in the streets of London, the result is pretty impressive!

We collected so many different and surprising secrets we just won’t be able to stop popping up everywhere, at every market, every single week!

The first few curious looks from the crowds started as we put up three big white sheets on a closed shutter of an estate agency. When the “Shhh” sign was up the first few comments started:
“Shh? What are you telling me to Shhh for?”,

“Oh go on, let’s see what the Shhing is all about”.

So through our yellow post its, through listening, through recording and facebooking we managed to collect untold stories and can now share them with you on this less sunny Monday morning!

This is definitely just the beginning of our pop up adventure, watch out for us on street corners!