Distance collaboration in art education using contemporary transmission technologies

Project implementers are MARC HAMU (Musical Acoustics Research Centre) and CESNET z.s.p.o. The objectives of the project include building a model workplace for distance instruction and collaboration in culture (in performing arts) on the premises of HAMU.

The project will provide and offer modern technology that will enable new ways of approaching art teachers’ tasks in teaching and mentoring students. CESNET is developing a prototype device for low-latency sound and image transmission for distance teaching and collaboration in performing arts. MARC experimentally tests the new technologies in use for art instruction (in new types of remote collaboration, interactive distance courses, and distance evaluation of artistic performances).

The insights from experimentally tested types of education are processed into a methodology for their use. As part of the project, HAMU organised a global conference/workshop under the title Network Performing Arts Production Workshop. Three methods seeking to minimise the latency of the image and sound transmitted were presented at HAMU, aiming to enable the participants in the online session to collaborate in the same way as if they were sitting next to each other. Of those, the method that was found to be the best in practice is MVP, a new low-latency technology developed by CESNET (in cooperation with MARC) where mutual audiovisual communication takes place at the highest quality (4K) with a latency of just a few milliseconds, allowing musicians to play in a synchronous manner even if they are located in different buildings and places.

Given the high sensitivity of artistic performances to external conditions, MARC workers presented the results of practical testing of the MVP technology developed by MARC during lectures and a workshop. The use of the technology in remote teaching was successfully tested between HAMU and DAMU, two partner institutions as well as in public concerts (considering the Covid-19 situation, this future technology is a visionary feat in the development of new teaching methods).

The NPAPW 2019 conference included a public music/dance performance using MVP for audiences in Prague and Barcelona, which involved the presentation of a musical composition played synchronously on three organs, accompanied by a real time dance performance of two dancers, one in Prague and one in Barcelona. The performances won the highest prize in the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2020 for the project “Cross-border Collaboration for European Classical Music”.

Team leader & members

Musical Acoustics Research Centre (MARC) at The Music and Dance Faculty of The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in a collaboration with CESNET Association.

Selected publications

• FRIČ, M. The use of remote transmission in the practice of clinical measurements
  Workshop presentation in Network Performing Arts Production Workshop, April, 02-03, 2019
• DVOŘÁKOVÁ, E., OTČENÁŠEK, J. Experimental research of distance learning of voice training HAMU
  Presentation in Network Performing Arts Production Workshop 2019, April, 02-03, 2019BERTI, A., OTČENÁŠEK, J. Presence vs. distance singing lessons
  Presentation in Network Performing Arts Production Workshop 2019, April, 02-03, 2019
• OTČENÁŠEK, J., VETCHÁ, S. Contemporary and experimental composition and remote performances, history and implementation
  Presentation in Network Performing Arts Production Workshop 2019, April, 02-03, 2019

Contact

Music and Dance Faculty of The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Musical Acoustics Research Centre (MARC)
Malostranské nám. 13
118 01 Praha 1
Czech Republic

More information

https://www.hamu.cz/en/science-and-research/science-research-development/marc/