Interactive Art Workshop
Taught by Ben McKelahan
Ben McKelahan spends most of his time developing ways to encourage silliness in parks, facilitating collaborative art-making, and writing fairy tales in his capacity as a Lutheran pastor. He is also a playwright, director, and producer for Highly Impractical Theater, a company that specializes in site-specific, fully immersive theatre.
Wish more people would randomly play together to create beauty and joy? You can make it happen through interactive art!
In this class we'll learn how activities as simple as children's games have been and can be used to generate complex interactive performing and visual art for all ages. The class will then design and create our own interactive art projects and take them to Prospect Park for Brooklyn to enjoy!
Week One:
1. Learn about some of the various types and philosophies of interactive art.
2. Analyze previous interactive art projects to understand the elements that make for successful interactive art.
3. Inventory available resources for interactive art available at the Brainery.
Homework:
Brainstorm potential components for an interactive art project at Prospect Park.
Week Two:
1. Collectively combine homework components into potential projects.
2. Form teams to create two or three projects.
3. Concept test projects using available resources
4. Make plans to finish projects and put in orders for additional resources
Homework:
As a team, finish preparing your interactive art project. Work space available at the Brainery.
Week Three
1. Implement projects at Prospect Park
No prior experience required! Class price includes a $20 materials fee that you get to spend on your project.