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Episode One: Episode Two: Episode
Three: Episode Four
SITCOM: Hybrid:arts Take on the System
and the World
Episode 2
Shots of equipment and innovative technology available at Hybrid.
J: The UK is entering a new, digital age. The technological revolution
is changing the dynamics of society and affecting the way we all
live and work. Stella and Tim became aware of this trend and the
impact it could have years ago, inspiring them to set up Hybrid:arts,
and have been working to use technology to help young people and
society ever since. It looks like the Government is only just catching
up. It has finally recognised the fact that digital technology is
an enormously powerful tool for transforming the lives of mainstream
society and also those who are on its margins. People in power are
now looking out for innovative uses of technology.
S: We are in the midst of a digital and social revolution, and
it would be dangerous to not unite these two strands. Digital technology
has the unique and unrivalled power to connect with young people
and inspire them to act and think creatively. Such practice has been
proven to benefit both the individual and the wider society. We want
to bring people together using a previously alienating medium.
J: It’s this winning formula of combining creativity with
technology that makes digital technologies more human and places
it in a central and positive role in the community.
T: Hybrid:arts actively address issues outlined by the Government
as barriers to accessing technology, such as poor basic skills, low
confidence and lack of motivation. We use creative technology to
reconnect and empower young excluded people. In fact, we often find
that those youngsters who have not had what is considered a ‘normal’ life
or education are the people that produce the most interesting and
engaging work.
Camera focuses on the crew at work in the studio.
J: Take this group of lads, for example. They are known locally
as the notorious ‘Lillington Crew’, committing violence
and vandalism, and exhibiting threatening behaviour towards residents
and passers by. Not currently in school or working, they spend their
time hanging out on the street. They came to Hybrid:arts on their
own initiative, hearing about it through word of mouth, to
enrol on our Music Technology OCN course – keeping them off
the street and giving them something to do. And they get a qualification
at the end of it. The local police are so pleased with the outcome
that they have provided Hybrid with funding to keep them here for
an extra day.
Although, at times, it can be a bit of a nightmare….Gemma
is able to recite a variety of Eminem songs in her sleep, to her
great despair…..but it’s getting easier and the students
are becoming calmer and less noisy week by week. In the beginning,
time was largely spent burning names into the corridor ceiling with
lighters…but now the focus has shifted to actually making
music. The progress being made is very rewarding for all.
Charlie has his reservations.
C: What have we done?! We’ve unleashed a chain reaction of
creativity on the world. There’s no turning back now… (loud
music created by the crew blasting out in background whilst Charlie
is saying this, in a mad professor type fashion)
Amidst this creative chaos, Aitch, the drummer from ‘The
Specials’, has popped in (yes, Hybrid:arts are not strangers
to the land of celebrity) and is currently hammering away very loudly
on the Hybrid:arts drum kit. I think you’ll agree, this visit
is nicely interposed with the speed garage-hungry Lillington Crew,
who doubtless have no idea who The Specials actually are…we
hope this will all change with the introduction of the Music History
OCN we are beginning with them next week. They won’t know what’s
hit them.
Terry: I don’t want to go to college. I’m gonna stay
here. And then join the army.
J: So, it’s going to take a bit of work then…
Hybrid’s aim is to get the crew back into society and contributing
positively, through the mediums of music and creativity.
I’d like to take a pause here and have a reflective moment.
Here’s something for you to think about:
According to some guy called Derrick, Director of the prestigious
Ars Electronica (please ignore the comedy name – now is not
the time…)
“If music be the food of Hybridity, mix on...sampling is
just one of the techniques of the digital, it has become a way of
life. And we have djs of culture...what can people do but sample
in an environment where everything is always available?”
And that, my friends, is our deep thought for the day…we
haven’t introduced this idea to the crew yet….we don’t
want to scare them off…
Back in the studio…
Cuts to Stella in studio, looking flustered having just put down
the telephone receiver.
S: Yet again we are faced with barriers in our noble mission to
keep the kids off the streets. We’re in the midst of a Social
Inclusion Unit saga.
J: Stella is having real difficulty getting into the Social Inclusion
Unit – please excuse the irony. Stella has sent 4 emails to
the Unit – none of which have been lucky enough to generate
a response. We have had to contact Tim Dumbleton for ideas.
Please feel free to write in with any suggestions you may have…until
next time, stay special.
I’ll leave you with this thought from Beckett: “All
knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers is contained
in the dog.”
THEME: Hybrid:arts debate the balance between creativity and
reality.
Opening scene – TGem, Stella and Tim are in office. Camera
cuts in mid-conversation.
S: So this year I got my mom a bag of manure for Mother’s
Day.
Roll Titles.
Gemma walks into office.
G: Here’s the post, Stella.
S: Thanks GemBabe. Oh, this is strange…
G: What’s that?
S: I’m receiving mail addressed to Mr S Parr of Hybrid Parts….it’s
all very Kafka.
T: That’s like a very unfortunate case of identity fraud.
J: It’s an exciting week here at Hybrid:arts – the
Lillington Crew are set to begin the first phase of their project – aptly
entitled ‘The Yob Project’. And although Hybrid seem
to be working to a different time scale to the rest of the world,
trying desperately to buy themselves extra time (according to the
wall planner, February 2006 has 29 days…) the team are confident
that the project will be a roaring success.
Although, at the moment, the team don’t exactly look like
they are exuding confidence:
Cut to faces of staff sitting around the table, looking daunted
and slightly scared.
But then again, it is first thing on a Monday morning. They’ll
be all right after a few coffees.
To boost morale, Tim is secretly recording the crew. Rather cruelly,
he is testing it on the poor staff first.
T: Unfortunately, things are not going swimmingly. Well, in one
respect they are – the recording sounds like we’re all
underwater…which is not a very accurate portrayal of life
at Hybrid:arts. (The Crew bound in, noisily) Although, if we were
in fact underwater, life would be quieter.
TG: Where oh where is that sound booth?! (throws arms in air despairingly
and retreats to office, cradling cup of tea.)
S: leaning conspiratorially into camera whilst the chaos plays
itself out in the background Recently, Tim coined a new word – hecticity
- to mean, ‘hectic’. It looks like today is going to
be one of those days…
J: So what exactly is the Social Reality Project then?
Please have a look at the projects page if you really want to know…
Back in the office…
S: Getting this project off the ground has really demonstrated
just how limiting and unrealistic bureaucracy and political correctness
really is. The project was originally called The Yob Project – because,
quite simply, it’s about yobs. But this was deemed offensive
by the authorities, so we’ve had to change the title to the
Social Reality Project – which is quite ironic when you think
about it, considering how noticeably less realistic this title actually
is. It makes you think about just how difficult it is to balance
creativity with reality. On the one hand reality can be so inhibitive,
but on the other, it can inform creativity - as we’ve seen
here with our beloved yobs.
J: But you’re getting into dangerous territory when you give
yourself codenames…
T: One of our associates goes by the name ‘infinity modulator’.
C: And the crew give themselves MC names.
J: This really hammers home the fact that we really are just big
techie geeks-slash-wannabe gangsters.
But then again, the Hybrid:arts staff do think they’re spies
(Agents S, T and G etc)…I’m not sure what’s more
disturbing really…
G: I work with robots.
J: A recent poll has discovered that ‘Tim’ is officially
the word most used in the office.
T: I need another me.
G: You could clone yourself?
Member of crew (calls loudly and slightly irate from somewhere
in the studio): Tim!!
T: Right on cue.
P: You should change your name.
J: From now on Tim is no longer here…now we have Frank.
Camera focuses on Stella, who is pouring over an application form
for some funding.
S: The lads aren’t going to be happy – if you want
to be eligible for college and you are over 19, you need to have
identifies needs.
G: Terry could probably pull off a dress.
P: And I’m sure he could pick up some camp tips from most
of the male staff at Hybrid…
Buzzer. Mez comes up to see us. Stella invites her into office
for a chat, and she notices a photograph of the crew on her desk.
Mez: Ha ha ha! Looks like a breeding ground for a terrorist group!
S: And have you read the caption?
M: ( reading aloud ) ‘As you can see, we are just a normal
bunch of youths’
S: So it’ll be interesting to see what happens with this
then. We’re thinking we may have to put a few of them in dresses.
Mez raises a quizzical eyebrow.
Camera leaves office and circles studio.
J: But despite appearances there has been a vast improvement.
The lads now tell other students off for leaving litter etc on
the table after lunch. Now that’s progress!
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