Live Notation: Transforming Matters of Performance

'Live Notation: Transforming Matters of Performance' will open up a new domain of performance related research instigated by the recent emergence of digital live coding. The project as a whole will formalise a research network where the visions and performances of Live Coding and Live Art may be further transformed under the broader theme of Live Notation. Whilst notation in relationship to both performance and technological process has a long history, 'live notation,' a term coined in developing this proposal, is a new phenomenon that opens up technological, aesthetic and theoretical potentials. The events of the project will address, explore and perform these potentials facilitated by a transformational dialogue between live coders and live artists.

Live Coding grew out of a new approach to computer music practice a decade ago and its research community is healthy and growing. Yet there is no book, no formally recognised academic workshop, conference or research group aligned with the theme. It is time for its various directions of research to be brought together and developed into a coherent research programme, one integrated as much into an art context as a computer science one. However, intervention is necessary to properly situate Live Coding in an arts research context and to facilitate the next radical shifts and impacts in performance that this implies. For this reason we have made opening a dialogue between the fields of Live Coding and Live Art a key aspect of our programme. The project's association of Live Coding with Live Art - as opposed to theatre-performance - is particularly apt. Live artists are concerned with embodying processes and presenting durational labour live in front of an audience; the aesthetic of live experimental composition is common to both disciplines.

The aims, then, of 'Live Notation: Transforming Matters of Performance' are 1. To understand and expose Live Coding within an arts context and 2. Enact transformation in performance practices through exploring the potentials opened up by 'Live Notation.'

The objectives are 1. To bring emerging themes in Live Coding into a programme of coherent research, identifying radical 'next steps' in relationship to 'live notation;' 2. Develop new conversations between live coders and live artists and potentially transform one another's practices; 3. Explore and demonstrate how Live Coding can transform ideas about the performativity of notation within art based performance practices; 4. Conclude the above as groundwork for creating a new trans-disciplinary platform for Live Notation.

Whilst the immediate benefits of the project will be to its 12 participants as they open up exploratory conversations and develop performances in relation to 'live notation,' wider benefits to performance research and practice per se are intended and expected. Each project member not only holds influence in terms of evidencing project findings to national and, in some cases, international audiences, but all members are well established academics who can disseminate findings through conferences and teaching. The project incorporates public events and the project website will make accessible the proceedings and host a blog.

Live coding research is already having profound impacts in the software industries. If Live Coding keeps its focus on human creativity now, then future cross-disciplinary impacts will be all the richer. We will continue this momentum by ensuring that novel programming techniques are well documented as they emerge, particularly through video demonstration, in a form suitable for broad contexts outside of academia. A particular focus in our dialogue between Live Coding and Live Art is the role of the body in 'Live Notation.' As computer systems become ubiquitous and embedded in the environment this theme will become increasingly important in years to come.

Live coding research is already having profound impacts in the software industries. Live coding videos curated by co-investigator McLean and project partners Collins and Magnusson for the forthcoming edition of the Computer Music Journal have enthused wider programming communities, reaching upwards of 30,000 views. Software engineers are now streaming Live Coding sessions to demonstrate technologies in industrial contexts, and creative agencies are using Live Coding techniques to explore briefs with clients. More and more, Live Coding is shifting emphasis from the fixed form of source code, to the activity of programming. This is a clear case of arts research and practice developing technological approaches with knock-on, transformational effects in industry.
While these impacts in the software and creative industries take hold, it is imperative that creative arts research continue to lead in this research area. If Live Coding keeps its focus on human creativity now, then future cross-disciplinary impacts will be all the richer. We will continue this momentum by ensuring that novel programming techniques are well documented as they emerge, particularly through video demonstration, in a form suitable for a broad contexts outside of academia.
As we have described, a particular focus in our dialogue between Live Coding and Live Art is the role of the body in Live Notation. As computer systems become ubiquitous and embedded in the environment this theme will become increasingly important in years to come. As strange as the notion of interacting with source code using our bodily gesture may seem, we predict a shift from computer displays to inter- faces embedded in our environment. As a result the relationship between computation, live interaction and the body will become an important research theme, and we will have laid foundations for fundamental contributions from the arts. This is just one example of a radical shift that could have profound impacts, via existing pathway via the software industry already detailed, and new pathways to other industries.
In terms of disseminating Live Notation itself to arts culture, the final event in the Arnofini will be designed to maximise this opportunity. Furthermore our website will be public facing with introductory text and videos designed for a broad audience. Live Coding has already been featured by national media such as Wire magazine and BBC News, and we will support further coverage of its development, aided by the press departments of the two Sheffield universities.