Proposing sessions before THATCamp Performing Arts starts is one of the most important things you can do as a participant as it sets the table for the topics we will be discussing and gives us material to create the schedule with. For more information about how and why THATCamp proposals work go here.

While some of you may know how to go about making a proposal, we realize that some might not be familiar with WordPress Multi-Site. So, I figured would make a quick how-to to get you rolling.  Here are the steps:

1. Go to the login page for the WordPress dashboard for THATCamp Performing Arts here (this is a link to open the address http://performingarts2013.thatcamp.org/wp-admin/ on a new page/tab). It should look like this:

2. Enter the username and password to the site that you received when you were made a user of the site. (Email me if you did not receive this info or have any problems with this)

3. Once you enter that information and login you should see the dashboard, which looks like this.

4. On the top left of the dashboard menu select Posts.

5. Now click Add New

6. You should now have a place to create a title for your post and add content. Enjoy!

That’s it!! We’ve just completely filled up for THATCamp Performing Arts on June 20 and 21. So glad that so many people are interested and that such a wide range of personalities and interests are represented in the registrants. The cast of characters really is just amazing and it promises to be a great event.

Unfortunately this means that anyone registering from this point forward will be put on the waiting list. I’ll be monitoring the list closely and as soon as spots upon up due to cancellations I will let people on the waiting list know one at a time.

I’ll be posting more about session proposals, schedules, meals, etc. so stay tuned here and on Twitter (@THATCampPerfArt). Looking forward to meeting everyone in two weeks.

Registration for THATCamp Performing Arts is now officially open and you can register here. Remember that due to space constraints there will be limited openings for this THATCamp, so the sooner that you register, the more likely that you will be able to reserve a space. Registration is open to anyone studying or working in the field. and we encourage interested participants with any connection to the performing arts (actors, designers, archivists, librarians, directors, professors, musicians, students, etc.) to apply.

Hope to see you all there.

We’d like to remind everyone that registration for THATCamp Performing Arts will open on April 1st. The conference will take place at the CUNY Graduate Center on June 20 and 21. We will be accepting registrants on a first come first serve basis and have room for 70 participants, so sign up as soon as possible once registration opens. When you register you will receive an email that your registration has been accepted and then another email confirming that you registered before the conference filled up if you are one of the first 70 registrants. More specific information about the registration process (including a place to actually register) will be made available on the 1st.

Some other questions you may have about registration and the upcoming THATCamp:

How much does it cost to register for this thing?
Nothing. That’s one of the great things about THATCamps, registration for them is always little or nothing, which is a great way to open up the participant base to as wide and diverse a group as possible.

Who can register for THATCamp Performing Arts?
Anyone really. While this THATCamp was envisioned as a place for practicioners and scholars of theatre to come together to talk about the impact of technology on performance, it is always great to have eager voices from outside of NYC and even from other fields.

How do I keep up with everything about THATCamp Performing Arts?
We encourage all applicants, participants, organizers, and onlookers to sign up for a Twitter account and follow news, announcements, discussions, and general hype coming from our profile (@THATCampPerfArt) and the global THATCamp hashtag (#thatcamp). Also, if you don’t already have one, go sign up for a Gravatar account.

Who do I contact with any questions about registration, travel, etc.?
You either send a message to our Twitter profile (@THATCampPerfArt) or email us at thatcampperformingarts[at]gmail[dot]com.

What kind of workshops will be offered?
We haven’t yet finalized a workshop schedule because we want to know what you are interested in. If you are interested in a certain tool or technology that is relevant to the conference, post it as a comment in reply to this post, tweet it to us or send us an email. Or even better if you know a tool and can teach a workshop on it, let us know and we’ll find a place for you in the schedule. Workshops are a great way to expand your knowledge base and skill build and we hope to offer a strong array of them for you at THATCamp Performing Arts.

That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing everyone in June!

CORRECTION: This post originally incorrectly had the THATCamp Performing Arts dates as the 19th and 20th. The correct dates are the 20th and 21st as noted below.

This June 20 and 21, the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center will be host to the inaugural THATCamp Performing Arts. As part of MESTC’s continued mission to bridge the gap between the scholarly and practical worlds of theatre, especially in New York, this gathering will bring together the many people who are either studying or using digital technology in the performing arts. Academics and practitioners are using digital technology to great effect to expand the horizons of performing arts, whether through innovations in stagecraft and performance technique or through the use of data visualizations and digital technology to research and archive performance history. Too often though the work of theatre and performance artists and academics happen in isolation and with little conversation about how they can help one another better grapple with the condition of contemporary performance. THATCamp Performing Arts will help to close that gap by bringing together scholars and artists from around the city and hopefully across the country and even around the world to talk informally about how technology can help in the creation and study of theatre, as well as play a role in bringing those scholars and artists closer together in their work.

In order to facilitate this conversation, this gathering will follow the THATCampunconference model. THATCamps, The Humanities and Technology Camps, are open, inexpensive meetings where humanists and technologists of all skill levels learn and build together in sessions proposed on the spot. Unlike traditional conferences THATCamps focus on a non-hierarchical, non-disciplinary, collaborative, informal, and spontaneous format. These “unconferences” are small in size and aim to be productive through the sharing of information and open dissemination of conference proceedings.

THATCamp Performing Arts will aim for approximately 70 participants, with interested parties able to apply on this website. Application will be open to anyone studying or working in the field. and we encourage interested participants with any connection to the performing arts (actors, designers, archivists, librarians, directors, professors, musicians, students, etc.) to apply. Registration will open on April 1st and the conference will take place on Thursday June 20 and Friday June 21 at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Kimon Keramidas
Director of Digital Initiatives
Martin E. Segal Theatre Center