 Join creator Justin Denton and actors Michael Bates and Haylee Nichele as they talk about their process developing CHAINED: A VICTORIAN NIGHTMARE, the VR/theatre hybrid that is currently running in LA.
Justin brings years of experience making VR and mixed reality work for Hollywood studios and brands, while Haylee brings her craft from working with Punchdrunk and Third Rail Projects, and Michael with LA’s own Speakeasy Society. Plus: we will meet and mingle and answer any burning questions you might have. Where: Thymele Arts Doors at 7PM Programming starts at 7:30 Town Hall/Mingle by 9 Wraps at 10pm $5 at the door, cash or Venmo Concessions available on-site
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This December LEIA is proud to present a workshop from Marissa Nielsen-Pincus and Tara O’Con, veteran members of Third Rail Projects who have worked with the company through the development of their beloved productions.
While both Marissa and Tara regularly teach in New York City, this December they will come out to Los Angeles for a weekend long workshop — Friday the 14th through Sunday the 16th — with a limited class size. It’s our first intensive in our workshop series, taught by two of the most experienced immersive performers alive. More information on the CLASSES PAGE.  This past year we’ve learned a lot more about the political realities of Los Angeles than any group of artists ever really wanted to. Not the philosophical and cultural stuff — that’s great — but the nuts and bolts. How the machine really works.
The good news is that we have learned how to be a more effective advocate for the interests of the community, and the even better news is that doing that directly involves the community as a whole: creators, producers, and enthusiasts. As it turns out, a few voices banded together can have a big impact in the city if they’re in the right place. To that end, we’re building a database of community members and linking them to the LA City Council Districts they live and work in. We don’t need addresses, just names, council districts, and emails. When there’s an action in a council district you live or work in, we may contact you to reach out to your City Council member. That’s it. Yes, this is very ninth-grade civics class. Shockingly: it also works. This may not seem like much, but this is the fundamental building block of our political strength. Please add yourself to the database and share it with your friends who are active in the community. The time is coming soon when we will need your help to make LA a friendlier place for immersive projects of all sizes. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE DATABASE!  Getting productions insured is one of those necessary things that can be unnecessarily frustrating.
The bad news is that not many event insurers know that immersive experiences exist, let alone how to classify them. We know that is going to change in time, but in the meanwhile a lot of producers find them selves talking to people who just don't understand. The good news is that every time someone successfully ensures an event, we are all one step closer to a world where getting insurance for an immersive or experiential work is no different from getting insurance for any other live event. To that end, we are spearheading a crowd sourcing effort on the community’s experiences with getting insurance. Our hope is to take the hard earned lessons of trailblazing producers and turn it into a knowledge base which the community may access. This survey is the first step in that process. You’ll find some of the questions quite detailed, because we’re looking for a realistic, not idealized, vision of what’s going on out there. We are asking producers to share their insight into the insurance process, so that those who follow may benefit from their wisdom. Note: any information you provide is for internal use and aggregation purposes only. Individual responses will not be shared with anyone outside of LEIA’s Outreach and governing committees without prior consent. Less than a year ago we announced the formation of LEIA: The League of Experiential & Immersive Artists. LEIA was formed by a coalition of Los Angeles based immersive theatre creators, experience designers, and event producers. The mission is straightforward: LEIA seeks to advance the immersive and experiential arts through collaboration, education, and advocacy on behalf of creators and producers.
Of course, you might have a few questions, like “how are you going to do all that” for starters. What LEIA Is Let’s start with the basics: LEIA has organized itself into a number of committees, each of which is tackling a unique challenge or opportunity within our growing community. The Permit committee pre-dates the formation of LEIA, and was created to address issues surrounding the permitting of immersive events in the city of Los Angeles. That committee is in open dialogue with officials in the Mayor’s office, and City Councilmembers. At present the committee is gathering data on issues that producers have had getting permits, the permitting processes in other cities, and cases where venues have closed. One aim is to produce a document known as a “white paper,” which will help make the case for the value of immersive & experiential work in a format that government officials understand. (You can help out by answering the questionnaire.) All of this is part of our effort to make it possible for work small and large to be produced legally, without fear of productions being shut down due to violations of government regulations. The purpose of the Safety & Practices committee is to provide guidance to immersive creators in ensuring the physical and emotional safety of audiences, actors, and all involved in creating immersive work. Their first order of business is to create best practices guidelines that can help first-time producers and veterans alike take the proper steps to make their productions as risk-aware, safe, and fair as possible. The guidelines will offer minimum standards for rehearsal conditions, performer and patron safety, insurance & liability, inclusivity & accessibility, and other related areas. These guidelines will speak to issues that are specific to immersive and interactive productions. Responses to this survey will help shape the committee’s work in drafting best practice guidelines. The drafting and maintenance of these guidelines represents an ongoing dialogue between LEIA, creators, and patrons of the immersive and experiential arts. The Education committee has already completed a cycle of workshop classes on some of the fundamental performance techniques involved in creating immersive theatre. Their work will continue this summer, continuing the performance related work and delving into other aspects of design. We’ve been excited by the response to the workshops so far, and want to know what other classes the community would like to see offered. The Outreach committee is tasked with the job of connecting with prospective members and allies in other arts organizations. They produce our membership and public events, and are charged with carrying out the broader advocacy parts of the LEIA mission. What’s Next In the weeks and months to come there will be more data gathering efforts, starting with an effort around exploring Insurance issues that producers have had in the past. Look for a survey about that soon. We’re also happy to announce that our Audition Board is now open, and usable by the public to both list and view auditions. We’re are also pleased to announce the addition of Niyia Mack (Delusion, Safehouse ‘77) to the LEIA Founding Committee. Niyia has stepped in for Jenny Weinbloom, who took a job with Meow Wolf in Santa Fe earlier this year. Our aim is to have formal membership bylaws in place by the beginning of the Fall season, if not sooner. These will outline membership benefits and requirements. LEIA is intended to be an inclusive organization that is able to reflect the vested interests of those who make and champion immersive and experiential work. This blog will feature updates and announcements as they become available. -Noah Nelson, for the Founding Committee LEIA Founding Committee Matthew Bamberg-Johnson Tommy Honton Niyia Mack Monica Miklas Noah Nelson Derek Spencer |
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