The goal of the Performance and Integrated Media working group is to redefine our understanding of possible relationships between live performance and integrated media in the humanities in undergraduate education. The integration of advanced technology and digital media within live performance is happening everywhere on the global stage—in professional, experimental and fringe scenes--but this movement is only barely reflected in education.  We want to broaden the traditional role of performing arts education and production to actively include experimentation with the use of new information technologies. We want to connect humanistic inquiry with application of digital technologies and new media, and integrate multiple media and disciplines into unique forms of expression that combine art and technology.

The group will bring in talented artists and scholars at the leading edge of performance practices research.  We propose to host a workshop, and bring in short-term visitors whose work stands at the forefront of the intersection between live performance and integrated media.  The working group will engage in depth with its guests about ways in which we might advance humanities education in this area at Duke. In addition these visits offer a chance for students and faculty to hear from and engage with top thinkers and artists in this field.

The group will investigate opportunities for course development and team teaching of these new literacies, generate potential research and performance projects, build a network that will allow for creative and experimental cross-pollination, forge paths to stronger relationships and collaborations for future work, and seek ways to create permeable boundaries between arts departments at Duke and other Duke units,  i.e., experiment with the DiVE and with Duke’s Interactive Studio (Music), network with the Visual Technology Group in engineering, and interface with the new MFA in experimental film and documentary .