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Casita: Press Play is a video art laboratory at Casita Maria in the South Bronx. It is a collaboration between 14- and 15- year-old budding dancers, singers, writers and artists from Casita Maria (or ‘Casita Kids’, as they call themselves) and Amelia Saul, a performance and video artist. The aim of Casita: Press Play is to make excellent, original performance and video art; to cross-pollinate the New York contemporary art world with the South Bronx; and to give the Casita Kids the know-how to make their own videos and show them all over the world, through YouTube.
From October through December 2011, Amelia will run two after-school workshops a week, which lead the Casita Kids through the entire process of making video: writing short scripts, workshopping ideas, choreography and rehearsals. In the second month, the group will produce and shoot the videos. In the last month, they will move on to post-production: editing, sound design, and screening. Amelia will bring in professionals to lead related workshops along the way: improv, acting, dramatic writing, production, dance/fight choreography, cinematography, video editing, and more. Once the videos are finished, the group will post the work on YouTube, and create a channel. YouTube is chosen specifically because it is the perfect democratic platform to empower the Casita Kids to share their vision with the world. The workshop will culminate in a screening and performance at Casita Maria in the Bronx, and Residency Unlimited in Brooklyn.
To enrich these practical lessons the group will explore the use of games as devices to tell stories. They will delve into the brilliant world of Augusto Boal, and explore his book, Games for Actors and Non-Actors. Boal’s theater games create atmospheres of freedom and playfulness, where comic timing and acerbic social commentary co-exist. Rich fodder for great video art.
Your donations go towards the workshops, the visiting experts (as listed in the first paragraph), video production and shoot costs (equipment rental including sound gear, lights, and possibly cameras), screening/exhibition costs (publicity, equipment rental, etc.).
In gratitude we are offering the following, all made in the Casita: Press Play studios:
–An invitation to a private reception at Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn in early 2012, with performances by the Casita Kids and Amelia Saul.
–A DVD of our videos, special behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes.
–A limited-edition T-shirt designed by the Casita Kids.
–A limited-edition hand-made book with details and illustrations of the original games created during the workshops.
To contribute to this project, click here.
Thank you for your support, and see you in January!
This project was created for Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, in partnership with Casita Maria.
