MANIPULA#SOM is a project aiming to research its language through a pedagogical process of sharing and exploring.
The blending of juggling/ the handling of objects and interactive music.
There is a complicity between creators, interpreters and lecturers whose purpose is to manipulate sounds, images and concepts.
We propose a travel through sound and visual landscapes, intersecting aesthetics close to what we might call interactive and visual music. We want to communicate through a hybrid, multidisciplinary, circus, experimental language, and create visual concerts with sounds and objects.

In the wide concept of MANIPULA#SOM's project, music has no longer a merely audio character and becomes an art form that is expressed through visual settings. Circus techniques such as juggling and the manipulation of objects are no longer merely visual and start triggering sequences and rhythmic patterns, sound and environmental mechanisms.
By interacting with interfaces that allow us to express ourselves artistically through sound, music and the precise gesture of juggling elevates its creative and performative process towards a new dramaturgy.

 

"The configuration of rhythmic patterns may enhance and reinforce dramaturgical propositions, creating images and conveying perceptions that are identifiable as analogue to rhythmic patterns."
Stanislavki

 

MANIPULA#SOM project was born within a series of workshops and is also a creative project.
In these workshops, we put together the handling of the object, experimental juggling and interactive music, a visual and sonic approach interacting with physical interfaces such as Kinect, MakeyMakey, Wii and virtual platforms such as MAX MSP / MAX for LIVE.

The core idea behind these workshops was to explore the performing potential of these tools as means for an artistic expression to convey drama within a circus, musical and experimental outlook.

• Handling of objects – Sonic Juggling
• Interactive Music – Programming/ Exploring of New Interfaces for the Musical Expression

 

"our" Manipulation of Objects:
For us, the manipulation of objects borders juggling, puppetry and illusionism. Manipulating objects is to give life to inanimate beings: embody them, give them intention, direction, weight, velocity, time, different qualities of movement.

The Handler has within him a set of techniques and concepts linked to the observation and experimentation of the objects he chose to handle.
We look for the direct relation between the handling of objects with their musicality.

We aim to create rhythmic patterns, to build choreographic sentences and to suggest contemporary visual sets.
We want to elevate the exact gesture of the handler and establish a direct and organic relation with the rhythmic sense of the action and the sound effects of movements.

 

"our" Interactive Music:
New technologies, the fast evolution of computing systems and the incredible speed of the software and hardware industry open new ways of artistic expression generally speaking, and of musical expression, in particular.
The possibility of being able to communicate in a steady, trustworthy, not latent way, amid the physical and the virtual world allows us to interact technically between sound and objects as never before.
The physical and virtual tools enable the approach of these multidisciplinary languages and explore their dramaturgical capability.
Besides its performative and interactive role, we also want to dissect the design and methodology underlying the use of interactive means, preserving though the essence of the performative practice, enhancing and simultaneously thinking over the options promoted by this kind of systems.

 

António Franco Oliveira was born in Porto in 1979.
He co-founded the Companhia RADAR 360º where he develops his work as:
Performer | Director| Teacher
He has undergone continuing multidisciplinary artistic education:
Street Art: He attended the Curso de Especialização Artística in Teatro de Rua at Academia Contemporânea do Espetáculo, 2000/2001;
He attended the Formation Avancée et Itinérante des Arts de la Rue at FAIAR", in Marseille, France, 2004.
Dance: He attended the Curso de Pesquisa e Criação Coreográfica of Fórum Dança, 2003;
He researches and practices contact improvisation highlighting his work with:
Dieter Heitkamp and Kurt Koegel;
Circus: Since the late 90's, he researches and attends workshops specifically on juggling and the manipulation of objects with:
André Braga, Nikolaus Maria Holz, Gandini Juggling Project, Cie Le Chant des Balles, Cie Les Objects Volants and Ville Walo;
He studies aerial suspension, highlighting the work with:
Mila Xavier, Bruno Dizien, Armelle Devignon;
He attended Clown workshops with: Allan Richardson, Frank Dinet, Koldobika Vio and Jimena Cavalletti.
Music: He researches and studies traditional Portuguese, Brazilian and Oriental rhythms.
He has developed a hybrid language, merging acoustic and electronic instruments.
He created and performed the soundtrack for the plays: "O Mundo ao Contrário" (Radar 360º), "Opera dos Cinco €" (Teatro de Ferro, Teatro do Frio, Radar 360º).
He composed and recorded the soundtrack for the play "O Lugar" (PIA crl & RADAR 360º);
He composed and recorded themes for the play "SOLAR" (Comédias do Minho);
He composed the rhythm section and effects of the soundtrack for the play "Transportadores" (Radar 360º);
He took part in DIGITÓPOLIS, a project by Digitópia / Casa da Música included in Manobras no Porto;
He attended several performance and experimentation workshops in Ableton Live software with: João Meneses, João Lobato, Tiago Ângelo, among others.

 

Julieta Rodrigues was born in Trás-os-Montes, 1977
She studied Psychology, in 1998, was a member of TUP (teatro universitário do Porto); and attended ESMAE (escola superior de música e artes do espetáculo), as a performer.
She has undergone continuing education since then, in the following areas: Physical theatre, Performance and Composition in real time; Choreographic Research and Creation; the Handling of objects and Animated Forms; Contemporary dance and Contact/ Improvisation.
She is co-founder of RADAR 360º Associação cultural, through which she has work with Circus and Street Theatre.
As a teacher, she has been developing a pedagogic approach based on working the character, space and objects on the public space – studying the street, the audience and the site specific, cooperating with several social projects, teaching project and social theatre, aimed to different types of audiences (disadvantaged audiences, special needs education).
Presently she is part of project Operação Nariz Vermelho as Doutor Palhaço.

 

Tiago Ralha was born in Porto, in 1990.
He has a piano performance degree at Conservatório de Música do Porto.
He has a graduate degree in Music Production and Technology by Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espetáculo. He took part in academic projects developed by the Serviços de Áudio do IPP and by the Laboratório de Acústica Musical.
For a year, he worked and a sound technician at Teatro Helena Sá e Costa.
He attended a Master of Theatre, in Sound Design at ESMAE.
Presently he is a free-lancer as a sound technician, sound-effects creator and sound designer in film, dance and theatre and as live and studio sound technician with music bands.

 

Tiago Ângelo was born in Coimbra, 1985
Composer, sound artist and creative coder his work looks at the intersection between music and technology, encompassing the development of new instruments and musical interfaces, composition and interactive media for theatre and sound installations. He studied at the Conservatório de Música de Coimbra and graduated in Música Electrónica e Produção Musical at the Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas de Castelo Branco. He has a Master degree in Multimedia, specializing in Sound Design and Interactive Music, from Faculdade de Engenharia of Universidade do Porto

 

Rui Azevedo was born in Porto, in 1979.
From 2006, he makes and tunes musical instruments. He studied art, attended a BA in Architecture at Universidade Lusíada do Porto, graduated in Curso Técnico de Cenografia at Media Parque - RTP SA. and attends the Curso de Design de Luz e Som at Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo. He worked at T.N.S.J. as set design assistant, at Companhia Pé de Vento as set design responsible, light and sound technician, at Jobra - Conservatório de Música e Teatro, Teatro de Marionetas do Porto, Visões Úteis, ASSEMBLEA THEATRO, Universidade Católica, Orquestra do Norte, Quinta Parede, Entretanto Teatro, among others, on set design, props and set design/ sound and light support. He took part in the making of set designs, light and sound design for music bands and short films.

 

Nuno Guedes was born in Porto in 1980.
He got a degree in Sculpture from Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto. From 2007 to 2011 he worked at theatre-dance company Circolando, as set and props designer as well as coordinating construction and setting. He now works as a freelancer constructing sets and props for theatre and film. He is co-founder of Casa das Brincadeiras where he co-directs and coordinated the construction of ludic objects and sets, aiming to promote the playfulness for all ages and develop a line of thought about the importance of playing.

 

Pedro Lopes Teixeira was born in Viseu in 1974.
Técnico Polivalente de televisão diploma from Universidade Aberta
Light technician at Teatro Nacional São João
Light technician and Lighting designer at Teatro Viriato, having created the light designs for the following shows: "The Gloaming" ; "Joyosa" "Heaven"; "Nós – Isto é o meu Corpo" by ANDRÉ MESQUITA (dance) ; several theatre shows part of the K CENA project; "Pluto Crazy" by Cirkus Xanti (Circus lab/ New Circus); Music shows: jazz, world music, classical music.
Technical Tour Manager at Companhia PAULO RIBEIRO.