From: Lila Bosowska
Subject: Re: Update Fanfara Laznia
Date: 13 May 2020 at 09:06:40 CEST

Hi Guy,

Yes… exactly!
Thank you for all the efforts and ideas on how to keep the project going!
And hope for the best :)

Hugs,
Lila

laznialetter_guy_van_belle_20200512.pdf

Lila Bosowska
Kuratorka ds. Rezydencji Badawczych i Kuratorskich / Curator for Research and Curatorial Residencies
Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej ŁAŹNIA / Centre for Contemporary Art LAZNIA

from: a.ksiezopolska@laznia.home.pl
16 April 2020.

Dear Guy,

thank you for your last email. Please excuse me for taking time to respond we were however going though some tormented moments …. Eventually we just found yesterday that our budget has been cut dramatically for the time being. We are still hoping that it will somehow change in the 2nd part of the year but for now we are where we are…Our budget is close to 0. So I need to ask you to freeze your plans for this year with regards to the Senses project. We will resume next year with the stages that follow. In case the situation changes to a more favourable one with regards to finances I will let you know. We will also write to Anna and inform her about the whole situation.

Sorry to bring bad news. Hope it is better at your end with Czech Rep. opening up a little bit and getting back to life. take care,

Aleksandra

from: Nina Czegledy
16 April 2020.

Dear All,

Very sorry to hear about the budget cut and sincerely hope while this is a serious challenge, we will be able to proceed either as you mention later this year but at least next year.

all the best

nina

To Nina Czegledy, Aleksandra Ksiezopolska, Lila Bosowska, Agnieszka Kulazinska
7 April 2020.

Hi Nina, and all,

In follow up of our talk on Sunday and the current state of immobility in Europe, I would certainly simplify the scheme. Now, as we were mailing on 17 February 2020, I would still keep the following groups in mind:

• (1) 441 Hz Marching Choir (20-30 singers)
• (2) Youngsters and electronic music (10 in total)
• (3) Additional musicians and sound artists (7 in total)

But concentrate on the first 2. The timings seem still ok for me, so that I can send the first version of a score to Anna for Choir 441 Hz by end of spring. I assume there are not so many rehearsals at the time being, but maybe I would like to try an online experiment with them the following months, depending whether they are up to it or not. (I am currently investigating the least latency solutions for audio/video interactions over internet). Then we talked about the youngster program and that would stay into place, probably it will be easier to work next year and travel again.

The additional musicians and sound artists, I believe will come along or not, but the more important thing is to reserve enough time for the choreography of at least the events at both Laznia's.

For the budget I would say that for each of the 3 parts [choir, youngsters, choreography/events] I would need 1000€, since it is a lot of work and involvement, within the context of the community approach that we are envisioning. I hope this is still within your reach. I am also willing to help to apply for a Visegrad Fund grant, which has as a deadline October 1st 2020. I could also try to hand in support requests elsewhere and see what is coming in from there, which would relieve the general budget a little, but I will ask for documents and letters as those become relevant.

I hope everyone is ok and healthy and hope this epidemic is soon better under control, and then we can meet again. I am always available to skype, signal, zoom, whatsapp, etc… anytime!

till soon G

To Nina Czegledy, Aleksandra Ksiezopolska, Lila Bosowska, Agnieszka Kulazinska
17 February 2020.

Hi Nina and all,

Thank you all for the nice meetings and assistance during the ‘prospection’ visit last time. Mona was a perfect guide for the local scene(s), and I felt immediately ‘at home’ in and around the Laznias! I was also very impressed by the Choir 441 Hz, and the interest of Anna Wilczewska, with whom it may be nice working on parts of the intended piece. I did quite some field recordings during the week, in the immediate surroundings and on the visits to the museums and places. Also the Oliwa organ in the Archikatedra Oliwska came out particularly well.

I was thinking and writing a lot about certain ideas and all details I will gradually bring to you. But in big lines, and since we have time for it, we could work along 3 major lines, which come together in the performance by September 2021. There could be 2-3 performances of the piece, for instance at Laznia 1 and 2, and at another “special” location during the opening week.

The parts I am thinking of, with the time indication for now are:

(1) 441 Hz Marching Choir (20-30 singers)

• I am working on an audio score, with sounds basically from the field recordings, processed of course
• All language parts will be based on onomatopoeia deriving from these basic sounds, as in a new universal ‘natural' language
• First static audio score and rehearsals: spring 2020
• Second, adapted score: summer 2020
• An additional layer will be added by an environmental interactive score (light sensors, wind + weather electronics): winter 2020
• Complete version with weather interactives: spring 2021
• [rehearsals will be done on location, outside]
• timing: 2 days in spring 2020, 2 days in summer 2020, 2 days in winter 2020, 2 days in spring 2021,
• And during the work-week before the performance(s) [August 2021]

(2) Youngsters and electronic music (10 in total)

• The idea would be to set up 2 workshops to start from, each consisting of 5-7 youngsters:
• - (ages 08-13) small boards with sampler shields and foot pressure sensors for walking, field recordings
• - (ages 14-17) make a raspberry sound machine, sonic pi and other synthesis sofware, field recordings and editing
• I will prepare all basic electronic material, esp. for the younger group
• The older group I will introduce to easy configuration of environmental sensors and IOT, with music making on raspberry pi (Sonification, synchronisation, interaction)
• timing:
• - 4 day workshop music electronics and music hacking (2 days for each group): spring 2021
• - 1 day workshop gesture and instruments for everyone: spring 2021
• - 2 day workshop sunlight, wind and weather sensors, python programming (for the older ones): spring 2021
• + follow up throughout Summer and before the opening September 2021 in the work-week [August 2021]

(3) Additional musicians and sound artists (7 in total)

Starting from the local and historical instruments, I would add wind instruments (trombone, tuba, trombita), the special string instrument (gąśle/gusle/geśle gdanskie), small percussion instruments, ocarinas, klekotka, etc… (antyinstrumenty haha), and small accordeon, perhaps a klarinet… I like the idea of small and modified instruments and extended playing, depending on the artists’ skills and would start with a workshop on creating a timbre oriented group (playing together rather than solo). They should extend the principles with which we work with the choir, and the idea is also that they come from another direction and sound very independently until they slowly meet and sync with the choir and electronic group. Timing: start asking and adding from September 2020 on, after the first rehearsals and recordings with the choir

• - 2 day workshop on instrument building, modifying and playing together: September 2020
• - 2 day workshop working with the dynamical audio score and relationship other groups: spring 2021
• - rehearsals during the work-week before the performance(s) [August 2021]

The fixed and dynamic audio scores could be FM transmitted over 4 channels and received on people's phones… Previous versions were always with each 'group' walking with a camera+sound recording → so let's look into that and see how to use streaming IOT technologies for that (there could be recording gear from above on laznia and a mobile recordist with each band) For working with the youngsters there should be some local person who can coordinate and assist. Mona seemed fine to me to scout the more interesting sound artists and keep them informed and on time with things…

If anything is not clear and if we have to discuss things, we can of course Skype the coming days and weeks - I am working at home so I am very flexible in time! Hope this gives a good overview and till soon! I am having a heavy deadline by March 15th so then I plan to start on the audio scores for the choir… and continue with preparing all the rest…

Hope you like it?

Kisses to all, G