* This call is now closed, thank you for submitting proposals! More information about the upcoming schedule will be posted here soon*
About ISSTA
The Irish Sound, Science and Technology Association promotes sonic practice both in Ireland and around the world, through our network of friends and collaborators. Since 2011, ISSTA has hosted an annual conference and festival, gathering together papers, installations, concerts, and workshops.
In this, our tenth year, ISSTA will encourage distributed practice through online platforms. The first action will be a live web concert Sonic Practice Now in August 2020.
ISSTA 2020
The worldwide spread of COVID-19 and the associated social changes have impacted our lives in a manner that has no precedent in recent times. How has the initial shock changed our professional and personal relationships? Does this pandemic mark a permanent change to how we work and share? Or is this a societal event that will soon be normalised?
ISSTA would like your responses to this situation as composers and performers. How has isolation changed your working methods and ability to collaborate? What new discoveries have you made? Share with us any results that address the theme of Sonic Practice Now.
Sonic Practice Now event
We seek live performances and fixed-media sound works for online presentation in live stream concert sessions on Friday 14 August 2020:
- An afternoon concert of music and discussions with composers and performers.
- An evening concert for longer works, followed by an online after-party.
We hope these formats will allow us to come together in convivial atmospheres where we can share our insights, discoveries, and accomplishments.
We have chosen Zoom as our platform, due to its low barrier to entry and support for high-quality audio. We will soon be publishing a document on how you can optimise your Zoom experience, and will work with performers to soundcheck streams on Friday 7 August.
Call for Works
* This call is now closed, thank you for submitting proposals! More information about the upcoming schedule will be posted here soon*
We are looking for diverse approaches from the broadest spectrum of participants.
You can submit new compositions as fixed media files, proposals for live performance, or any other sonic material that you believe addresses our theme.
For fixed media work we can accept stereo performances with or without video.
For live performances, we welcome proposals that experiment with possibilities within the Zoom web-conference medium.
Opportunities for testing/sound-check will be available in advance of the live event.
Submission Instructions
* This call is now closed, thank you for submitting proposals! More information about the upcoming schedule will be posted here soon*
Please compile the following into one archive file (.zip):
- A Word or Open Office document containing:
- names and contact details of contributor(s)
- description of the work (max. 100 words)
- biography for each contributor (max. 100 words)
- Image(s) of contributor(s) as a high resolution JPG or PNG.
- Image representing the work.
- Media file of fixed media work or example for proposed live performance (Audio: WAV or FLAC; Video: mp4).
Please make sure all file names begin with the contributor’s name.
Upload the your .zip archive file here.
Closing date for submissions: 3 July 2020
Curatorial decisions to be announced on 17 July
For any queries contact John D’Arcy j.darcy[at]qub.ac.uk
ISSTA is committed to creating a convivial environment diverse in gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, age, and ethnicity.
ISSTA is not in receipt of external funding. We regret that due to this we are unable to pay artist fees.
ISSTA Board and Organising Committee 2020
Dr. Jenn Kirby, President
Dr. Robin Parmar, Vice–President and Treasurer
Dr. Rob Casey, Secretary
Dr. John D’Arcy, Web
Dr. Brona Martin, PR