Faculty Spotlight: Michael F Bergmann
I'm invigorated by the ideas I've heard this summer, and I'm excited to talk with our students about them. I want to hear their perspectives, their critiques, and their experiences. I'm looking forward to further opening up the conversation of collaboration with AI with them, and I'm excited to see what they come up with in my courses.
Performance at The Creative School is lucky to have so many industry professionals in our midsts and among our faculty. This summer, we're taking the time to focus on what creative projects and research our faculty work on throughout the summer months (and beyond!).
This week our spotlight shines on designer and self-proclaimed techno-optimist Michael Bergmann. Michael is a Production faculty member who teaches classes on projection design and show systems, as well as being a program direcor for Production + Design.
For the summer, Michael is participating in a variety of research activities, taking him from coast to coast! They share photos from the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the Canadian Association for Theatre Research (CATR), and of course, multiple photos of the ocean(s).
West Coast - View of the Pacific Ocean, from Half Moon Bay, California
Breakfast of Champions - Chia pudding, fruit, jam, cheese, bread, and orange juice. Courtesy of Air Canada. Somewhere between Toronto and San Francisco at approximately 30,000 ft
At WWDC in California, it was amazing to get a hands-on look at the development of the software and hardware that will shape the next few years. I'm hoping to get developing for the Vision Pro, and see what it can do with a performance context.
WWDC Selfie - Awkward selfie of me and the Vision Pro at Apple Park (look but can't touch!)
At CATR in Nova Scotia, I had great discussions about technology and how it is fitting within our ideas of performance and teaching performance; everything from AI collaborators to XR environments and responses to the Future Stages manifesto. These discussions will naturally come into my Projections class; projections were the original AR, and we have to address the reality that our performances are moving beyond the physical world.
Speaking of projections, while at Dalhousie University I was able to see some of their collections of set models by Josef Svoboda. They were incredible, and I'm looking forward to their exhibit of them in September 2024.
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CATR Presentation - Candid photo of my CATR panel presentation, by Dr. Natalie Alvaraz.
East Coast - View of the Atlantic Ocean, from Martinique Beach, Nova Scotia
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Svoboda - Me with Josef Svoboda's 1966 model for The Tempest
Northern Nova Scotia has some good sunsets.
We've started a pilot student opportunity in partnership with Ross Creek Centre for the Arts. (external link)
While I was visiting, production student Nala Lendor was doing incredible work on the shows for Two Planks and a Passion theatre. (external link)