Read me .txt Audio Files from 'Quantum Physical 3.0' - intended for use with Hyperscore from the final production , which exists online at http://highwaydinerprojects.wordpress.com/ and is contained in Appendix 8 of the accompanying MPhil Thesis Or in the event this is detatched from the MPhil Thesis, the Hyperscore is also available in .txt form at the end of this document. If this CD is corrupted, tracks from the performance or see https://ghostcityfestival.bandcamp.com/album/quantum-physical for downloads This CD is Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of MPhil by Research in Theatre Studies: COMPOSITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR PERVASIVE PERFORMANCE What are the compositional strategies in performance which uses Ôpervasive gamingÕ as a dramaturgical structure? - what are the dramaturgies of pervasive performance? - what are the writing processes in pervasive forms? - what kinds of audience agency are possible through these dramaturgies? Laura Cameron Lewis BA (Hons) Theatre, MPhil (Res) Theatre Studies Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of MPhil by Research in Theatre Studies School of Culture and Creative Arts, College of Arts, The University of Glasgow January 2020 Chapter five: Practice-as-research documentation of the composition and performance of ÔQuantum Physical (a work in progress)Õ - a proposal for compositional strategies within pervasive performance Through this MPhil I have constructed a matrix which synthesises the defining co-ordinates of research in the field: critical perspectives on existing practice, personal observations of performance practice and research into related dramaturgical models. In chapter two I constructed a dramaturgical matrix, based on an intersection of the compositional axes of games design, and the Aristotelian dramatic structure. In chapter three I analysed first-hand observations of performance works by Blast Theory, including research trips to Geneva to case study Blast TheoryÕs Day of the Figurines (2006), and Brighton to study Rider Spoke (2007), studying both of these early manifestations of the possibilities of this new genre. Combining analysis of the structure of these performances with my dramaturgical matrix, I designed my performance practice to investigate the design problem inherent in a participative artwork - namely the need to balance both the end-participantÕs desire for plot-driven narrative or action with the freedom to make autonomous choices in the world of the performance. Questioning the mutuality of these two different dramaturgical challenges, my practical study examines the compositional structures and implications of agency in Ôpervasive narrativeÕ. Throughout my research, I have examined the compositional strategies in pervasive performance posing the questions: - what are the dramaturgies of narrative in pervasive performance? - what are the writing processes in pervasive forms? - what kinds of audience agency are possible through these dramaturgies? I addressed these questions by uncovering the dramaturgies of pervasive performance via the creative process of composing the performance work, ÔQuantum PhysicalÕ (2010). The resulting strategy is a model I call Ôgamic dramaturgyÕ; which provides an indicative set of compositional strategies and a basis for response to audience authoring in action-based creative practice. The following chapter is a contextual documentation of this proposal-in-practice; a description of the performance work Quantum Physical, an examination of audience agency within its systems, and a summary of the dramaturgical structures at work. PRACTICE-AS-RESEARCH PERFORMANCE: THE QUANTUM PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE Quantum Physical was composed and developed in successive iterations between September 2008 and September 2010. In each prototype, reflection gained from the previous iteration was used to develop the next version. Over two weeks in September 2010, ten people participated as audience/players in the fourth iteration of the pervasive performance Quantum Physical. What follows below is a document of the Quantum Physical performance in September 2010. I have reconstructed a narrative of the events in the performance, based upon observation of the participants, post-performance interview, and the documentation of my nodular script or Ôhyper-scoreÕ. Quantum Physical begins when an email arrives in your inbox. It contains a single line of text: Ôever wonder what else is out there?Õ Then, a second email: Ôbored of sitting at a desk all day?Õ A third email arrives, this time it is an invitation. Written in the broken syntactical structure of spam and machine-generated text, a mysterious organisation called ÔQuantum PhysicalÕ makes you an offerÉ They promise to Ôlocate your exact place in the universe, and map out a path to a better lifeÕ if you sign up for their Ôunique serviceÕ. An application form is attached, along with the reassurance that your personal details will be handled ethically and in accordance with the law. The email signs off as the company encourage you, ÔDo Not Be Afraid.Õ At this point you can either choose to ignore, or respond to, the message. If you respond, you receive a reply email to your inbox offering an appointment with a Quantum Physical representative. On the day of your appointment, as directed you have taken yourself to the concourse of the train station and are holding your umbrella and your phone. You scan the concourse looking for someone - you have no idea who you are going to meet, or how to recognise them. Finally, a text message arrives to your phone. Ôput your umbrella upÕ You are indoors, so you hesitateÉ You put up your umbrella, a few heads turn and people begin to stare at you. A bald man in a suit walks over and stands beside you. He is looking at the departures board, his face expressionless. Without turning to look at you he utters three words: ÔWalk with me.Õ You follow, he leads you up flights of stairs and down alleyways, almost running, he looks behind him and over his shoulder he seems to be checking to make sure you are not being followed. Finally he decides upon a safe place. He takes you into a pub, buys you a drink and you talk. He tells you what you are getting yourself into. He says he canÕt go into detail about what Quantum Physical will do for you, as he doesnÕt want to alter the future or prejudice your results. He advises you that Quantum Physical will contact you and every day they will give you a task or mission to complete. He says that you can fit the tasks in and around your daily life, depending on how much time you have. He also says that if you decide that you want to play more (for example, you have some spare time that day), you can ask Quantum Physical for some more tasks. He asks you to create a pseudonym for yourself, something youÕd like to be known by. Then he takes out his laptop and sets you up with a Google account using the pseudonym of your choosing. He tells you that this account will allow you to communicate anonymously with Quantum Physical and the other people on the programme. Throughout the next two weeks you will use this account to keep track of your progress, access maps and resources, and contribute to a transcript of conversations between the players in the Google ÔbuzzÕ forum. If you have a Ôsmart phoneÕ (such as an iPhone) he sets up the account on your phone for you, so that you can access your Quantum Physical resources whilst you are on the move - at any point during the day - as and when you choose. He then bids you good luck and tells you that you will not see him again. You finish your drink. You are now alone in the bar. Your phone beeps. ItÕs a text message from Quantum Physical - your first mission. You are asked to plug in your headphones and download or stream the attached audio file. You play the file, to hear a female voice addressing you in an almost intimate tone, as if she knows you. She asks you to step outside, which you do. She tells you that she has Ômade this city for youÕ and encourages you to look around, asking if you like it. She then guides you on a journey through the city, which lasts the next 15 minutes. As you wander at your whim, directionless, down streets you may never have walked before, the voice creates an imaginary city around you. Every day for the next two weeks, you receive emails and text messages which invite you to solve riddles, journey to specific places, or imagine those places in a location of your own choosing. You can either find a suitable time or break with your everyday life patterns to complete these missions, or choose to conduct them as thought experiments. Every time you play you discover treasures in the forms of sculptures buried or hidden in the landscape, audio files which suggest new stories, characters, or creative journeys for you to embark upon. Two parallel narrative lines begin to emerge: one in which your subjective experiences unfold as you develop your fictional character and interact with the other players online; and another narrative line, in which you discover that there are mysteries to be solvedÉ. Mysteries, such as - who or what is Quantum Physical? Who do the audio files belong to and who were they intended for? What happened to a woman called Molly? What are you implicated in, and what consequences might this mission have for you? You can engage with the work on many different levels appropriate to your own situation, interest and available time. If you choose to follow all the clues and interact with the other players you might be offered the option of attending a meeting with one of the characters, which will lead you to an endgame of the performance which answers some of your questions and poses many more. Equally, you can choose to interact with the work entirely within your own context and create your own ÔnarrativeÕ experience based on your interpretation or activity which arises as a response to tasks we suggest you complete. SYNOPSIS OF (DESIGNED) PLOT Some time in early 2007 Molly, an artist, meets and falls in love with Robert, a musician. They both believe that they have met many times before, and that it was somehow written into the fabric of the universe that they will become lovers. They begin making artifacts that document their relationship but also turn it into art - maps of their future and maps of their past. Then, in December 2008, Molly swims out into the sea near Edinburgh and is never seen again. She is presumed dead but no body is ever found. Some time later, Robert receives a business card in the post from an organisation called Quantum Physical. Still beside himself with grief, he becomes convinced that Molly is still alive and that Quantum Physical is a project that she has created. It is, however, possible that Quantum Physical may even be responsible for MollyÕs death. Audience members are contacted by a stranger, and some of them go looking for answers. They discover a website with a list of email addresses, including MollyÕs, and Ð more disturbingly Ð a timer counting down to the date of the anniversary of the day she disappeared. Audience members and fictional characters begin contacting some of the emails on the website (some belong to fictional characters, some to real audience members Ð but which is which?). It turns out that Quantum Physical came into existence in June 2008, six months before MollyÕs death. Between June and December bizarre things happened to people who signed up to Quantum Physical. A woman met her future husband in a chance encounter in St Ives, which seems to have been engineered by Quantum Physical. A man who killed his wife and child in a drunk driving accident began having visions of another version of his life. Now a new group of people (the audience) has joined Quantum Physical. What will happen to them? Twist piles upon twist. Towards the end of 2007, the audience may discover, MollyÊbegan an online correspondence with another Robert, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the ÔrealÕ Robert, but who emigrated to Canada after a girl he loved but had never got to know, who was also called Molly, had died. Later, as the audience tasks set by Quantum Physical increasingly echo events from Robert and MollyÕs life together, there are hints than Molly may not be dead at all. Did she create Quantum Physical herself? Did she engineer all the things that happened to Quantum Physical's first wave of volunteers? Has she somehow learned to travel between parallel worlds? Has she come back to fix things? Or has Quantum Physical somehow taken on a life of its own? Adding to the confusion is a shadowy figure called the Handler, who at first appears to be working with Quantum Physical but really, as it later becomes apparent, has infiltrated Quantum Physical and is working to his own agenda. At the final moment, just as the timer on the website is about to run out, the Handler sends a secret message to his handl-ees to come to a dead drop, whereupon they find keys and an address to a flat. When the audience/players arrive they are faced with an abandoned house turned into a shrine. In one room a cascade of stones form the ghost of a wave over an unmade bed with a womanÕs nightclothes abandoned an it, a wine glass, a manÕs shirt.. the traces of lovers. A soundtrack plays a message for the future from a woman recorded years ago. In the living room again the motif of stones form a ghost of a wave, but here a bed has been made on the couch and the evidence of someone sleepless here night after night. A pile of boxes in the middle of the floor, many marked ÔusÕ with photographs and nicknacks and one marked ÔmeÕ empty, save for a clipping from a newspaper about a drowned woman and a photograph of some graffiti which says Ôdo not be afraidÕ. There is a recording playing in this room tooÉ a man talking to a lover who is no longer there. CONTEXT OF THE PERFORMANCE-AS-RESEARCH I created a dramaturgical architecture for the work, drawing upon the three axioms outlined at the beginning of my study: - our virtual selves are in a constant process of writing and performing themselves in a global theatre where we are at once both artist and audience; - the form of game performance is also its message; - the play element gives the player the power to critique from within, pervasive global processes. The aim was to make Quantum Physical an interactive work, which could be described, as Alexander Galloway describes Civilisation (a world-making game by Sid Meier), as a work which Ôsimulated the total logic of informatics itself.Õ (2006, p102) It takes place in overlapping contextual sites: the everyday lives of the participants, a ÔcorporateÕ presence on the internet, an online social network, a hidden network of trails and maps in the outside world and built environment, and discrete installations in gallery/theatre spaces and found spaces. Part adventure game, part shrine, Quantum Physical is a performance, described as a Ôpilgrimage for the secular ageÕ which aims to embody virtual processes of world making, game playing and biography. Combining both an Aristotelian linear plot element and a free play sandbox structure, Quantum Physical suggests that a nodular approach to dramaturgical composition would admit audience agency and play into the relationship whilst simultaneously offering a narrative experience, in the event that the audience/player desired to interpret the performance in this way. Conceived initially as a palimpsest game, an interconnected network of hidden installations, Quantum Physical took inspiration from the Geocaching (2011) network of treasures or ÔcachesÕ across the globe. Finding the Geocaching practice at once a poetic act of re-visioning place, with numerous possibilities of hacking the city, and the disruption of de CerteauÕs Ôune espace propreÕ (1984, p.94), I wished to follow through the logic of the countergaming and critique within spatial practices such as Geocaching by creating a critical spatial activity that might open up a new process of collective writing driven by the dynamic of pleasure derived from ÔgameplayÕ. The performance, Quantum Physical, is an expansive, mixed reality, interactive, city-wide pervasive performance project www.quantumphysical.org. It is an interactive hyper-drama which audiences experience over a number of weeks. Its multi-character narrative unfolds from day to day through audio journeys, text messages and emails, face to face encounters, conversations in online chat rooms, and treasure hunts leading you to mini-sculptures hidden around the city. The nodular episodes of the performance can be experienced at any time of day, as part-and-parcel of your ÔrealityÕ. The audience themselves contribute to shaping the action, so the performance develops at a different pace for each person, depending on individual degrees of participation. Much like a long-running TV series, Quantum Physical has been created so that audience members can either immerse themselves in the experience completely or dip in and out. You can spend a few minutes a day participating in Quantum Physical, or several hours at a time. Quantum Physical is designed to be a telematic performance, using every avenue of communicative media in the surrounding world. Phone, text and email messages, YouTube clips, blogs, posters on walls, art installations, real world meetings with characters all become a site of performance. The day-to-day lives of the audience/players become a site of performance, as the phenomenological experience of the audience/player becomes inextricably intertwined with the interpretation of dramaturgical narrative. Any concept of ÔstoryÕ (whether it is a plotline created by the audience/player, or one of the dozens of characters and multiple plot twists designed by the artist/player) is gradually revealed via the completion of daily tasks (see Appendix 7), or interactions with characters, who unveil new plot twists. If they choose to, audience members can work together to uncover the plotÕs mysteries. The narrative is different for every audience member, developing slowly or quickly depending on your level of commitment to it, merging with your own subjective viewpoint as you interact with the artwork. A Hyper-score of the Final Performance By the final iteration of Quantum Physical, performed in September 2010, I had developed a method of scoring the performance using the online blogging platform Wordpress to create a hyper-score, which used hyperlinks to track the shape of the composition. This hyperscore allowed me to directly embed the audio files, emails, and the other materials that formed part of the online universe of Quantum Physical. Links also led to external sites, which streamed the audio files directly or contained downloads, maps or related online material. I found the process of writing a hyper-score the most appropriate and useful way to record the structure of all the nodular possibilities and emergences as the performance event progressed. The format allowed me to create a framework within which there were multitudinous navigations or paths through the composition, which facilitated my ability to respond swiftly to what the audience/players were doing. Being able to navigate through a nodal text, or performance universe, allowed me to respond by creating new texts, plot lines and audio journeys, which augmented the composition. The hyperscore from the final production exists online at http://highwaydinerprojects.wordpress.com/ It contains links to all online content including audio files, images, clippings and screenshots. A text version is included on the CD ROM submitted with this thesis. WHAT KINDS OF AUDIENCE AGENCY ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THESE DRAMATURGIES? Tracking Emergent Behaviour with Continuous Feedback Design To aid the real-time element of the composition, over the two weeks of the performance I designed a method of tracking emergent behaviour and opinions formed by audience/players, which enabled me to compose the hyperscore, making appropriate compositional choices. During the performance I could observe statements, positions and contributions of individual audience/players if they participated and interacted on the Googlebuzz forum. The observance of these diary/social interactions provided a vital feedback loop to observe audience/player interactions and subjective narrative arcs. A screenshot below shows a sample of the Googlebuzz transcript, evidencing the creative agency that audience/players might have in a pervasive performance. The player ÔTommy PoplarÕ responded to his task by creating a CD which he then hid in an HMV retail store; in a post-performance interview he described excitement at the prospect of being caught photographing himself in the act of Ôshop-puttingÕ. Fig 5.1 Quantum Physical Players Chat Image: Laura Cameron Lewis, 2010 In the next screenshot, ÔTommy PoplarÕ shares information with his fellow players and posts a link to a radio interview with the missing woman, disseminating this plot element to the rest of the online community. Further evidence of player agency can be observed in this same excerpt, in the exchange between the characters Tommy and Rupert, as they create their own imaginary plot element which drives the performance forward in unforeseen directions. Fig 5.2 Quantum Physical Players Chat Image: Laura Cameron Lewis, 2010 As a durational experience, the physical and emotional journey experienced by each of its audience members, via their own creative input, is the key outcome of the project. In this respect Quantum Physical is a self-evaluating project. These daily logs kept online in Googlebuzz allowed me to gauge the degree to which the project was engaging its audience. As this was so fundamental to the reactive framework of the composition, it was crucial to construct an evaluative element into the artistic experience itself. This strategy was proven successful in the early prototype iterations of Quantum Physical. In November 2009 I asked participants to keep a diary of their experiences in journal entries on the MySpace social networking site. Players such as ÔTop HatÕ provided a valuable indicator of what kinds of narrative dramaturgies the player was experiencing. Other methods of observing emergent actions during the performance included tracking interactions between audience/players and fictional characters I played in the performance. This was particularly prominent in their interactions with the ÔHandlerÕ Character. Traces of subjective audience/player narrative arcs were also evident in their emails to Quantum Physical Inc. and interactions with the fictional characters in both online and face-to-face contact. Depending on the interventions or emergent action of audience/participant, I could choose to respond, creating new action via fictional characters. I discovered the response did not always need to come from me, as other audience/players responded to each other and player intervention created moments of collective narration. The compositional choices I made were based on the feedback information I was receiving as it related to the conceptual and contextual framework of the performance. The overall impression I wanted to create was that each moment in the performance is just one aspect of an expansive (and potentially limitless?) work of art. The player must get the idea that they are peeking through the keyhole into a slice of a much larger universe Ð a universe that they also have the possibility of authoring. Within the various narrative layers and actions of the performance, the following opportunities for audience agency emerged: Within the performance through a phenomenological experience of narrative: Deciding oneÕs own placefullness/location Deciding how to interpret a task Creating an action for another player Within the performance narrative of the fictional plot: Playing a character, creating oneÕs own role in the performance. Controlling the speed of the narrative by having the control to ignore the game or play more, experiencing more or fewer episodes of the performance as you wish. Teaming up with/against against other characters. Creating twists in the narrative, urging the artists to respond with new strands of plot Collective imagining ÔEvent NarrativeÕ Ð Meaning derived from the intersection of real life Vs the game/machine: Choosing when to play Choosing oneÕs perspective Switching the whole thing off Collectively emergent meaning and narrative: Discussing play at the Ôwater coolerÕ, e.g in non-play moments Relating to other characters, creating oneÕs own role in the performance. Pushing on the narrative, having the control to experience as many episodes of the performance as you wish. Teaming up with/against. Creating twists in the narrative, urging the artists to respond with new nodes of work Collective imagining Meaning resulting from interaction with the media of the performance: Hacking Modification behaviours Choosing to participate using ÔpreferredÕ communication modes The audience/players modify their interactions relative to happenings in their real lives. A few chose to drop out entirely due to reasons of time pressure, while some others became involved with gusto. Towards the final days of the performance their email and text exchanges became increasingly creative and drove the plot in new directions: This will be my last communication for a long while. I am sorry Robert. After events at the Rusty Bicycle on Wednesday night Molly and I are going to try to make a future together. She deserves something better.... There is nothing and so much to be said. ÊA bientot. Hamish Hamish. Sent from my iPhone (Email from the player ÔHamishÕ, Quantum Physical, 2010) A disincentive to full agency? A notable outcome from the performance, due to the geographical spread of the participants and the individual demands on their everyday lives, was that very few of the participants opted to journey to the suggested location for each task. For example, Quantum Physical advised in one task that you could travel to Portobello beach and play a particular soundfile. In this instance the recording for that task contained an instruction to dig in a particular spot on the beach whereupon the player would find a small sculpture buried there. The task also allowed the audience/player to choose not to travel there, instead they could find an alternative location, or imagine Portobello beach instead. While the thought experiment or transposition of the task was a valid interpretation of the performance, the player would not discover the buried sculpture. The sculpture could be seen as a reward of sorts, as some sculptures would point the player to new plot discoveries. The audience/player might have been inclined to reason that if they desired to ÔunlockÕ the plot, they would have to follow the letter of the tasks and travel to the precise location dictated by the system. One participant, ÔTommy PoplarÕ, announced in his final message, ÔI canÕt collect my final message tonight. I hate not seeing this through to the end but I may just have to keep plugging away at my tasks until I can work things out myself.Õ (Quantum Physical, 2010). This indicated to me that to some extent he felt obliged to work out and adhere to the control system of the dramaturgy, to complete the proper experience. However, in a post performance interview the participant confirmed that he felt under no obligation to complete the tasks in the specified location, conversely, that he felt that the experience was more enjoyable when he travelled to his ÔownÕ location: ÔIÕm quite interested in human geography anyway so I suppose itÕs a bit of clichŽ but I like that invisible cities thingÉ it was nice to be on that pier IÕve been to lots of times and to have a different experience with it.Õ (ÔTommy PoplarÕ, Audience/player interview following Quantum Physical, 2010) He confirmed that what he had actually meant was that he wanted the performance to last longer than two weeks, due to an increase in his day-to-day commitments, and felt he would have liked to continue with the performance at his own pace in the following weeks/months. The proposition of the ÔgameÕ is that there is no proper experience to be had, which the character Tommy Poplar found engaging. However, as I had designed certain tasks to reward ÔproperÕ adherence to the location specified, this contradicted my initial aim. A PROPOSAL FOR GAMIC DRAMATURGY Ð A MODEL IN PRACTICE Following Alexander Galloway, I have explored the compositional criteria within gaming, as Ôaction-based mediumÕ (2006, p.4). As I illustrated in chapter two, this is distinguished from the Ôactive audienceÕ theory of subjective readings of a work, since the Ôactive mediaÕ actually adapts its materiality, its composition, in the process of the game event. As action-based experience the audience/player is engaged in a relationship with the Ôgame machineÕ. In dramaturgical symmetry, the composer of the pervasive performance is also involved in a relationship with the game machine, revising the Ôliquid architectureÕ (Dixon 2007, p3) of the dramaturgical structure as the performance is underway. Given the relational outcome of the final game performance, the writing process must be conducted in such a way as to engage with these relationships as the game machine is being constructed. I propose an iterative approach to the writing process, as this will enable the creation a technical score and a complete score of the plot elements of this pervasive production, as I have done, using prototype development runs which included audience/player involvement. This allowed me to be influenced by the emergence of the audience created elements of the work, whilst simultaneously discovering the extent to which my compositional elements were successful in facilitating an interactive relationship (and indeed, whether the performance was engaging its participants). Imagining oneself as a spectator and, at once, as a player Ð as I detailed in chapter two, is to engage the participant in movement through both the normative structures and open ended possibilities of the work. To create the potential for agency the artist should ensure that the participant can move through the action-based structure of the performance. The participant can then make compositional decisions of their own which will have many unforeseen impacts upon the performance event, with the potential to change the structure of the composition. This puts the agency of the audience in a dialectical relationship between authoring agency and their hermeneutic understanding of the composition. The artist should begin by creating a compositional structure that allows or begs movement within it, experimenting with creating moments of performance, ÔnodesÕ, which might be able to exist as interchangeable (modular) shifting points as part of a larger encompassing gestalt, or field of impressions. This approach led me to create several ÔprototypeÕ performances Ð each based on a nodal structure and modular logic, an approach which is successful in offering feedback and practice in responding to instances of audience agency. Taking this proposition I would argue that pervasive performance is an architectural dramaturgy which can only be experienced and enacted, and cannot be reduced to a text. Within a pervasive performance there will be; * location specificity * ÔnodesÕ of performance structured according to a normative dramaturgical logic * an overarching articulated structure which allows agency on the part of the audience/player The compositional strategy of the artist is therefore to begin with one or all of the following: * Defining/exploring locations * Creating nodes of performance within a normative dramaturgical logic * Composing an articulated structure to hang the performance nodes upon Overleaf, I have constructed a working schematic for a Gamic Dramaturgy, which illustrates using a diagrammatic overview of the way nodes form a narrative journey over the course of a fortnight. The overarching narrative journey (epic) is a singular experience, which would be summarised by the individual audience/player, from the impressions generated as they journey through the work. This journey is an accumulation of experiential nodes (which from the artistÕs point of view could be interchangeable within the structure). These nodes are comprised of daily tasks (sub-nodes of dramaturgical action), which lead the player/audience to discoveries, creative opportunities and observations. This level of narrative is the level most open to player agency. Schematic for a working model of Gamic Dramaturgy Ð Nodes and Episodic Structures - Three coexisting blocks of narrative design: Daily episodes (self contained and task based) Weekly ÔseriesÕ (resolves in a live event) Overarching story (resolves in grand mass finale) Fig 5.3 Schematic for a working model of Gamic Dramaturgy, Laura Cameron-Lewis 2010 As the normative dramatic conventions, the Aristotelian concepts of ÔplotÕ and ÔcharacterÕ are referred to in both the composition and interpretation of pervasive performance. These concepts are, however, extended and modulated by the pervasiveness of the worlds in which pervasive performance operates. Combining my findings from chapter two, GallowayÕs proposals for Gamic Action (2006, p.38) and the Aristotelian aesthetics (1999, pp.10-28), I have compiled a definition of various degrees of hermeneutic narrative experience in each of the nodal levels of Quantum Physical. The enactment of the dramaturgy of the pervasive performance occurs in: the fictional world of the work (the diegetic machine act), the actual reality of the player as it corresponds to the fictional world of the work (diegetic player act), the actual reality of the mechanisms of the performance (non-diegetic machine act i.e. email and text message architecture), and the physical reality of the playerÕs Ôreal lifeÕ activities (non-diegetic player act). A field of impressions is created by the co-existence of these four worlds of action, which combine to form a narrative field of associations or narrative gestalt. To separate these strands of narrative within the ÔQuantum PhysicalÕ creative project reveals the following levels of narrative and particular approaches to structuring activity to form successful dramaturgical strategies: Media Narrative - The message-is-in-the-medium and the medium-is-in-the-message. For a critical analysis of Quantum Physical as an artwork, the critic must take account of the wider socio-economic contexts and meanings associated with the methods of communication used to present the drama. This is a work of art about the world we live in today, and how we create ourselves, and how we in turn are created by this world. Strategies to make this visible include: devising a manifesto for the project, creating a character called ÔQuantum Physical IncÕ which represents the political brand identity of the Media Narrative. Fictional Narrative Ð The accounts of the ÔstoryÕ delivered from the dramatic perspective of each of the fictional characters. This is delivered in an episodic structure. In this form of narrative the player is in a position of imagined distance or spectatorship yet participating in the dromenon form of performance (Huizinga, 1955, pp.14-15). In this form of narrative the artist imagines distance from the event, but is embodied in the writing of the work. In the example of Quantum Physical I created this part of the narrative with semi autobiographical material to mirror the playerÕs autobiographical experience as the performance pervades their real lives. This follows my axiom of pervasive performance as a site of constant rewriting of identity in a virtual theatre. To quote Steve Dixon again, both playwright and performer create fiction in the space of the World Wide Web, which is the Ôsite of therapeutic catharsis-overloadÉ constitut[ing] the largest theatre in the world, offering fifteen megabytes of fameÕ (Dixon, 2007, p.4). Strategies for delivery include: individual monologues delivered to audience/players by use of text message, audio recording, or in dialogue form via a semi scripted telephone conversation between fictional character and player. Event-Fiction Narrative Ð There are points of intensity where all other narrative forms come together to be presented as a collective live experience. These storyline milestones are definitive markers on a progressive fictional timeline, and are delivered in a predefined sequence to all participants at the same time. This is a moment of collective dromenon experience. Strategies include installations or semi-scripted performance events where all players find their way to a single location at a defined point in time. Phenomenological Narrative Ð This is completely subjective to the viewer, and results from the viewing of everyday life through the focusing lens of art, prompting one to take account of minute and random details. Strategies include tasks given to audience/players to complete individually. These tasks should be situation based and should be entirely enacted by the agency of the audience. Tasks can be set in tandem or opposition so that the creative results of the activities of one player can be ÔgiftedÕ to another player as an aesthetic experience. Collective Narrative Ð This level of narrative operates on a social level and is dependent on how the interaction of the participant emerges according to their agency. This might include working against each other, teaming up to work together, sharing information, communicating or delivering tasks for each other, and discussing interpretations of the work. This narrative is subject to the fuzzy nature of interaction and consensus and will be constantly changing. The whole work will culminate on the final day in a mass group event, offering a formal resolution of all other narratives in a social environment which it is anticipated, will allow for the final negotiation of the collective narrative to occur in a celebratory social event. My proposal for a nodal structure in pervasive performance allows for a fuzziness in between its borders, a graded notion of paradigms and identities which are at once orientated towards the imagined spectator but also open to shifting possible meanings and interactions. Mathematical models, from fuzzy set theory and modular logic, offer similarly nodal strategies for a universe in which ÔnodesÕ of hermeneutically definable occurrences are considered fuzzy at the edges, as part of a relational system where meanings and positions are negotiable. In essence, within this structure it is possible to take initial authorial control over the design of the plot by creating tasks for sub nodes and experiential elements, which altogether form each of the series nodes, and thence the overarching plot. Dramaturgically, it is the task of the artist to decide how each of these elements might fit together to allow designed plot interpretations as part of an overarching narrative. At this point, the composition is a speculative design as, ultimately, the audience/player may disrupt, modify or otherwise create their own, overarching narrative. Chapter six: Conclusion: Emergence and Control Systems To win means to know the system. And thus to interpret a game means to interpret its algorithm (to discover its parallel ÒallegorithmÓ). So today there is a twin transformation: from the modern cinema to the contemporary video game, but also from traditional allegory, to what I am calling horizontal or ÒcontrolÓ allegory. I suggest that video games are, at their structural core, in direct synchronization with the political realities of the informatic ageÉ[to win is] knowing the system and knowing the code, or I should say. ÒThe way computer games teach structures of thought. (Galloway, 2006: p.91, original emphasis) In this thesis I have undertaken a thorough examination of compositional strategies in pervasive performance, examining literature and the practice of artists in the field, as well as using my own performance practice to investigate my research questions. I have shown that the writing of a pervasive performance is an iterative process, which requires the participation of the audience/players at prototype stages of development; that these participants are co-authors of the work and are engaged in a relational dynamic with the artist, the game-machine, and the other players. It is an aspect of my practice-as-research to employ the prototype method and this is also accepted practice within games design, though it may be the case in future that other artists can work from dramaturgical models (such as my proposal of Ôgamic dramaturgyÕ) once they become firmly established, to create work without engaging these iterative stages. It would always be my preference to work with prototype versions to engage with the audience creatively in the construction of the work. I have demonstrated, through my case studies, focus group and practice-as-research, that the most successful dramaturgies of pervasive performance comprise an intersection of the axes of the Aristotelian structure with the sand-pit open game play structure. This structure facilitates an oscillation between action and observation, present and imagined, writing and interpretation. I have also demonstrated that this structure facilitates an oscillation between the Dromenon and the Theatre, and that on the intersection of these two axes the dramaturgies of pervasive performance create an intersection between GallowayÕs hypotheses of the vertical ÔtraditionalÕ allegory and the horizontal ÔcontrolÕ allegory (ibid.). There is at once the possibility to critique the system (of the game and its media) imaginatively via the traditional allegorical forms which use plot and mimesis, but the game system itself is an allegory of control within which players can either enact compliance or resistance. Investigating the question as it relates to the agency of the audience/player within the pervasive performance, I have arrived at a complex and somewhat contradictory set of conclusions. The performance work which operates via the structures of informatics holds the possibility of becoming a control system, as Galloway puts it, to Ôteach structures of thoughtÕ (ibid.). For every resistant action there are many more actions that reward adherence and compliance within the game structure. Within the dramaturgy of Quantum Physical the audience/player could perform a task in the location specified, or just as well in a place or manner of their choosing Ð however for those who complied with the recommendations of the task and took the suggested journey to Cramond Island or Portobello Beach there was an extra reward, a mini installation that often divulged further aspects of the designed plot. If one were so inclined it would be possible to find oneself obliged to work out and adhere to the control system of the dramaturgy, in order to receive the proper experience. As I have outlined, the structure or dramaturgy of the pervasive performance event is critical to its creation, its enactment, and thus any analysis of its inherent socio-political meaning. If it is necessary to ÔunlockÕ a particular algorithm to complete the task-based narrative of the game, the game can be ÔplayedÕ but the play cannot be ÔcreativeÕ. I base the following conclusion on the economist/philosopher G.L.S. ShackleÕs observations on the difference between possibility and probability (1961, p.6), where he states that a ÔcreativeÕ situation ultimately allows a process of Ôdecision makingÕ where the imagined hypotheses present equally possible propositions. Despite the apparent openness of the writing processes and nodal structure of the game, it may not be possible that the participation in (which includes writing of) pervasive performance can resolutely be determined as ÔcreativeÕ. In order for the structure of the game to be remotely distributed, there must be a core set of rules that define a basic template for the system. This process of formation and distribution mirrors capitalist processes and could be, as Giannachi asserts, the site of critical and subversive action through the artistic practice of game-play. However, if the process of disseminating the game continues to propagate the ÔbrandÕ of capitalism by replicating it, to critique the brand, the ÔsurplusÕ in the capitalist processes must be opened up to something that serves either a critical function or a purely aesthetic one. I would argue that if the system does not allow the player Ôequally possibleÕ (.ibid) outcomes at the point of decision making, it is a closed and determinate system Ð and if this is the case, the practice cannot therefore be determined creative or artistic. In this instance, the player is not empowered and is carrying out the processes of capitalism rather than critiquing them. The surplus in game-play, under such circumstances acts to uphold the brand of the game and its attendant capitalist processes. If creativity is based on the availability of equal possibility, or, put another way, is an expressive outcome of freedom - as Marie-Laure Ryan explains, Ôif working through an interactive text is really writing we need a new word for the encoding of meaning by summoning a word from oneÕs own mindÕ (2001, p.9) - the experience of pervasive performance can be felt as either creative, or an un-creative and coercive experience, depending on oneÕs position within the relational systems of the work. Whilst this may be true, there is always the option not to participate in the work. My experience as player in Rider Spoke (2007), and observation of participants in my practice-as-research, reveals that pervasive performance is also self-selecting in terms of its audiences. Some people will be absolutely drawn to this work because of interest in (psycho)geography or interest in aesthetic uses of networked technology, and conversely, certain other people will not be drawn to wish to participate in this kind of work. I have identified some factors which will lead audiences to opt out of participation: technological know how (older people are less likely to choose participate in social networking or communication with hand held devices), economic barriers (at the time of writing, handheld devices and laptops are still considered expensive), and physical barriers (some games such as Rider Spoke require physical skill and dexterity). Even if a player opts into the game, there is still always the possibility to opt out again. In my practice-as-research, there were a few who were less willing to engage and they consequently exercised their agency by dropping out of the game. The freedom Ônot to playÕ or to break the rules is always a possibility, and in performance games such as Quantum Physical it can be actively encouraged through careful wording, tasks and examples of other (perhaps fictional) players. To an extent it is irrelevant whether the players Ôkeep upÕ with the game or the tasks, as the virtual, via-negativa aspect of imagining that which is not present, or that which is not acted upon, occurs whilst the audience/player is within their own localised context, creating the layering of the possibility and blurring of the imagined to create an augmented reality. To the same degree it is irrelevant to the audience/playerÕs experience whether they are able to travel to the real ÔCramond IslandÕ because their task can be completed as a thought experiment or in another place specific to the location of the participant. The locatedness of the participant and the overlapping of real life with the fictional and imaginary aspect is what turns the action from ritual/dromenon into an aesthetic and theatre performance. The participant can choose to deviate from the design of the performance, exerting their agency and counter-will, creating a countergame to the plot and site proper of the performance. Substituting the real with the imaginary, and vice versa, has the net effect of creating an absolute lack of illusion. As the real is to some extent always present, the imaginary is engaged within the real by textual and audio suggestion, and can indeed lead the audience/player into a playful and thoughtful engagement with the processes of the world around them. As Steve Dixon notes (2007 p.25) the visual spectacle creates a state of illusion of a process of thinking which in fact alienates the viewer rather than encouraging them to invest. As the pervasive performance does not rely on spectacle, the audience/player always has the choice to engage their imaginative faculties, and, with the game-machine, create the game. An examination of the control systems and immersivity within a pervasive performance dramaturgy would be a logical step for further investigation of this material. I believe I have demonstrated, with the indications of this paper, that a better understanding of the hermeneutic and sensory aspects of the immersive and illusory functions within gamic dramaturgy would provide a richer understanding within this emerging field. Due to limitations of space and scope of this study, I cannot fully investigate these areas, however I do view these questions as critical to the development of the form. This an area for further research, as the form of pervasive gaming becomes more definitive. Appendix 8 Quantum Physical 3.0 - a Hyperscore (c) Laura Cameron-Lewis with performance and music by Laura Cameron-Lewis, Kieran McLoughlin and Andrew Eaton-Lewis 2011 PERFORMANCE MAP / TEXTS PRACTICE AS RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION for 'COMPOSITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR PERVASIVE PERFORMANCE' Laura Cameron Lewis MPhil by Research in Theatre Studies The University of Glasgow Department of Theatre, Film, and Television Studies October 2011 Contents Day 0: Lead in 165 Day 1 168 Day 2 177 Day 3 182 Day 4 186 Day 5 195 Day 6 198 Day 7 199 Day 8 204 Day 9 207 Day 10 209 Day 11 213 Day 12 Dark Matter 214 Day 13: Requiem 219 CD enclosed with tracks from the performance or see https://ghostcityfestival.bandcamp.com/album/quantum-physical for downloads MASTER PLAN DAY 0: Lead In Email participants the following: Teaser Email From: Quantum Physical Title: Do you... Body text: Ever wonder what else is out there? Teaser Email 2 From: Quantum Physical Title: Are you... Body text: bored of sitting at a desk all day? Invitation From: Quantum Physical Title: ÔNAME OF PLAYERÉÕ Body text: EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED There are possibilities you never knew existed. You are less alone than you think you are. You have been specially chosen to participate in a beta test of Quantum Physical, a brand new, unique and life-changing service. We can help you locate your exact place in the universe, and map out a path to a better place. There is no fee. All we ask for is your trust, and a small amount of your spare time, spread over about two weeks. Make an appointment to see one of our representatives now, by completing the attached application form. Please be assured that we are entirely bound by the data protection act and a code of ethics and all personal details will be respectfully handled. Do not be afraid. www.quantumphysical.org QUANTUM PHYSICAL Registration Form Name: _____________________________________________ Home Address: _________________________________________________ Work Address: _________________________________________________ Mobile Phone No: _________________________________________________ Mobile Phone Make and Model:___________________________________ e-mail: ___________________________________________ DOB: ______________________________________________ Male Other Female Emergency contact: _________________________________________________________ Medical information If there is any medical information that we should be aware of before you take part in this experience then please give us details: (This information shall remain confidential) Offer of Appointment From: Quantum Physical Title: Congratulations! Your application has beenÊapproved Body text: Thank you for your application. We are delighted that you are willing to join us on this stage of our evolution and we feel sure you wonÕt regret it. The next step is for us to arrange an initial appointment with one of our representatives in Edinburgh. In the first instance we can offer you a choice of appointment times: Thursday 23 September at 6, 7, 8 or 9pm Monday 27 September at 6, 8 or 9pm If none of these times is suitable for you, please send us a range of dates/times when you will be available and we will do our utmost to fit you in. We congratulate you on your excellent choice of handheld mobile device and encourage you to bring this with you to your appointment, along with your headphones and something to write with. Please also bring an umbrella regardless of the weather. We very much look forward to meeting you and thank you again for your trust and curiosity, neither of which are misplaced. Yours sincerely, Quantum Physical Confirmation of Appointment From: Quantum Physical Title: re: CongratulationsÉ Body text: As it happensÉ.You have made an excellent choice. Your time is now booked for xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your location has been discovered as ÔWaverley Train Station, in the main concourse at a position between the departure boards and WH SmithsÕ. Our representative will meet you there. Please do remember to bring an umbrella, something to write with, and your headphones for your iphone. ÊYou will receive further instructions. We very much look forward to meeting you. Quantum Physical MASTER DAYÊ1 Train station. In the email we get them to wear red and bring an umbrella. ÊThe Handler walks past them. Ê Quantum Physical team will on the day: Be at station. Text participant Are you here? Put up your umbrella. Handler Character Follow this Script, engages with the participant: They think HeÕs looking for something else. He sits beside them or stands in their eyeline. he says Ôwalk with meÉÕ and If the weather is good, takes them to Princes St Gardens, if its bad, to The Cafe Royal (like Kevin Costner in JFK) ÊMaybe he takes out a yellow carnation, puts it on. ÊKeeps checking his watch. ÔweÕve got a window of fifteen minutesÕ. Walk with me. ÊCome on. ÊYou can put it down you donÕtÕ need that up. ÊIt will become clear soon. ÊYou might need your umbrella itÕs starting to rain. ÔitÕs five past two, lets stand hereÉ okÉ we can move on.Õ (as if itÕs time travelÉ) Ok weÕve got ten minutes. WeÕre going to turn right. ÊWatch it gets busy at this bit. WeÕre going ahead here andÉ lets move. ÊChecks in the windowÕs of a few placesÉ looks doubtful. ÊMaybe checks his phone, looks at the sky or buildings checking for cameras. Ok, weÕre clear hereÉ HereÕs as good a place as any. ÊShall we do this over a drink? MineÕs a Guinness. After you. So how did you find out about us? Perhaps they ask him a question about what this is Ôall aboutÕ ThatÕs the difficult thing. IÕm not a salesman. I canÕt really say very much Ð have you seen the website? Its probably best that I donÕt tell you too much about it. ÊI feel that if I tell you what itÕs all about itÕs not going to work properly. ÊWhat will work out best is that I give you this informationÉ (hands them the pack) This is your induction pack, weÕll go through some of this and whatÕ IÕm going to do today is log you onto the system. We find its best that way that we log these details. Then if you decide you want to stop, you can change your mind later. So I just want to check some details. With you Name: Age: Date of Birth: 20 June: Current address: ÊPostcode: WhatÕs the best number to contact you on is it a personal mobile or a work phone. Now, Do you have an email address, do you have internet access on your phone, what version of phone is it. Are you quite up to date on technology ThereÕs a few things I want to set up today for you. This is a way of you entering into this experience without having to give put all your personal details to anyone else in the next two weeks. All I need to do now is create a profile for yourself, think of it as a way of creating an identity for yourself so that you donÕt need to interact as yourself. Think of it as being an alternate reality, you can be whoever you want to be. ÊI donÕt know dungeons and dragons. ÊWhat weÕre offering here is the chance to be anyone you want to be. ÊWhy donÕt you start with a name? -so what are you in quantum physical, do you run it? No (Bob), IÕm just a representative. IÕd like to be called izzy the cat. Issy the cat. What IÕm doing now is IÕm just filling out an account that youÕre going to fill out. ÊItÕs a gmail account that you might be familiar with. ÊGood luck (Bob), its available! IÕm going to ask you for a password. ÊSpinningtop Are you familiar with Gmail? ÊWell weÕre going to make you a separate account on Gmail, and you can use that to send messages to us and to send messages to other people you might meet on this experience. ÊWould you like me to set this to forward emails to your personal address Ð we wont make your address public, so you have to log into your Gmail account that weÕve set up for you when you want to particapte in Quantum Physical, but it might be handy to have forwarding set up so that you know straight away as soon as youÕve received a message. Have you ever made a blog before or used twitter? ÊWithin this gmail profile there is a service called ÔBuzzÕ which we will use for you to keep a journal of your activities while you are on the Quantum Physical experience, you can email writing or photographs youÕve taken, even videos to your Buzz profile and you can also use it to communicate or check in with other people who are part of ÊQuantum Physical. ÊIf you have GPS enabled on your mobile phone you can even see where you are on the map and where other QP members are. Ok. ÊSo what is going to happen when this starts is that youÕll receive a message from Quantum Physical. ÊÊEssentially, Quantum Physical is a two-week, immersive experience designed to fit around your day to day life. You commit as much or as little of your time as you can. Now, while I canÕt tell you very much at all about what Quantum Physical will involve I can tell you that youÕll be set some tasks. YouÕll be sent a quest a day. ÊNothing too arduous. Nothing dangerous, and you donÕt have to do anything that youÕre not comfortable with. ÊIf you want to keep playing then you can send a message to Quantum Physical using your gmail account (or text phone) and youÕll be sent another quest that day, so you can keep going as long as you wish. ItÕs a bit cryptic right? ÊBut think of it like a birthday present. If you knew what you were going to get before your birthday, it would spoil it, right? ThatÕs just the way it has to work. Otherwise itÕd prejudice the results. If it helps, think of it like time travel. Imagine you could travel into the future and see what your life will be like in ten years time. Maybe youÕve met the love of your life, and have started a family together. Or got your dream job Except that this isnÕt about dream jobs, or dream homes. Not at all. ItÕs about much more fundamental things than that. Imagine that the version of you who you see in the future is happy, for whatever reason. You would naturally want to know how to get to that place. Or perhaps theyÕre terrible unhappy. You would want to know what to do to avoid that. The problem is, that foreknowledge alters the whole picture. If you know what your life is going to be like in ten years time, thatÕs going to affect your choices. and the outcome. If you think youÕre going to be happy in ten years, then you might not do all the things you need to do to make you happy. You might not put in the work. Before we leave (Bob), I need to get you to sign this, so basically this is a disclaimer, youÕre fully entering into this and agreeing to the terms and conditions. As I said weÕre not going to ask you to do anything illegal and weÕd ask that you refrain from doing anything that might get you into trouble. The first thing youÕll receive is a text message, but IÕll request that you log into your gmail in the next 24 hours. ÊAnd from then on in, your experience will be as much as you can give to it. (they might ask his name) My nameÕs not important at this point, weÕve got a five minute window. Well done (bob) this is the first step towards finding you a place in the universe. WeÕre not going to meet each other again, from this point on itsÕ your own journey, I wish you all the best, thanks for the drink. They stand up shake hands. Is this it? youÕre thinkingÉ ItÕs just the start. ÊGoodbye issy the cat. Leaves a card on the table. Give the participant these documents: Welcome QUANTUM PHYSICAL welcomeÉ We connect in more ways than ever before yet millions of us are lonely, depressed and insecure. The grand narratives of our time have failed. We must search technology and science for the same answers we seek from religions. Every day you are able to traverse time and space, connecting with people, places, and different kinds of knowledge across the globe You have become too accustomed to things being the way you were always told things should be. It is conceivable that you exist in an in infinite number of alternate universes simultaneously. In some of these you are happy beyond your wildest dreams. In others you are about to die. You could be anyone, reinvent yourself as anything. You could live lots of different lives at once and no one would ever know. You have in many ways, already decided what happens now. The question is, do you know what you want to see or are you willing to find out? It is only a shock sometimes that wakes you up and sends you back into the real world. Look again for what is really here. We will not tell you who we are or what you should expect. Disclaimer QUANTUM PHYSICAL Disclaimer Terms: Location: 65/2 Great Junction Street and the surrounding areas of Edinburgh. Dates: From the 20th September to 3 August 2010. I, (person participating) I freely agree to take part in an experience provided by Quantum Physical. I hereby give my permission for Quantum Physical to film, photograph or otherwise record actions I make for the duration of the above dates, and permit Quantum Physical to use this data. I fully understand that I am about to enter into a totally unique experience specifically catered for each participant & understand that the above company relies on my co-operation, honesty & trust to fulfill its agreement, and that any resistance during tasks or dishonest actions will result in an incomplete experience. Quantum Physical are in no way responsible for my overall experience from this point on. I assume total responsibility for all of my actions and any events that may befall me during participation in the event and agree not to do anything that would break the law or cause injury to any other person. I agree that this is at my own risk, and Quantum Physical are in no way responsible for any expenses I may have ensuing from any damage I or my relatives may take. I agree that this disclaimer will override any present and previous insurance liability that the above-mentioned parties may have and hereby exempt them from any responsibility, financial or otherwise, for any events that may in any way implicate, damage or threaten my personal health, safety or wellbeing during the above-mentioned event. I have, prior to signing this disclaimer, been made aware of personal information that will be requested of me and may be used to help cater this unique experience to me. In agreeing to this, Quantum Physical reserve the right to keep my contact details on file and to use these when needed during the time period stated above. Signed ________________ Witnessed ___________________ Dated _______________________ Procedures Quantum Physical Procedures We will send you at least one action, mission or task, every day. We hope you will find the time to complete your action within the day. Some are time specific, some are specific to a place, and some can be done anywhere. If you have more time available on any particular day, and wish to get more out of your Quantum Physical experience, you can ask for a further task by emailing ÔPLAYÕ in the subject line to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com We have set up an email account for you at http://www.gmail.com, and you can use the BUZZ feature to post updates, photographs, your location, and to communicate with other participants. Your log on details for both of these are as follows: Login: Password: As we have promised not to pass on your personal details to any third party, we have set you up this GMAIL persona to protect your identity and your anonymity. Think of it like an alter-ego. You are welcome to customise your GMAIL profile to suit your alter-ego. You may be familiar with the various options that you can enable with your Google account. If this is the first time you have used Google and its associated features such as BUZZ, latitude, Maps, Picasa and Youtube, we recommend you spend some time playing around with it to familiarise yourself. To receive any files sent to you by Quantum Physical, you will have to log into your GMAIL account. If you choose to do so, you can set up your GMAIL profile to forward your Quantum Physical messages to your private email address. This is optional and if you do turn this function on, this will mean that you will be notified when you have received any Quantum Physical messages, while your real email address remains private. If you wish to respond to your messages you will have to log in as your alter-ego to your GMAIL account Ð do not email from your private email account unless you wish to forgo your anonymity. It would be helpful for you to keep a record of your experience, in journal form and by uploading pictures and updates to your GMAIL BUZZ feature, which we have set up for you. You can locate BUZZ on the left panel of your GMAIL inbox, or alternatively you may set up BUZZ as an app on your smartphone, which we recommend for the fullest experience. By using your anonymous GMAIL profile, you can also enjoy the use of location services and the google maps functions. This means that you may request to ÔfollowÕ other players on your BUZZ and if they have location services turned on, you will be able to see where they are in MAPS. Quantum Physical has invited you to collaborate on the ÔQuantum EdinburghsÕ map in which you can create markers and upload pictures or text to specific locations. For information on how to use MAPS in google to create your own tagged maps, directions, or upload video to specific locations on google maps see the following link: http://maps.google.com/support/ and click on Ômy mapsÕ. Do let us know by email if you need any help with these functions and we can arrange for TECH SUPPORT to assist you. You can contact us either on our GMAIL address findmequantumphysical@gmail.com or by email at findme@quantumphysical.org http://www.quantumphysical.org Handler leaves. Participant gets the following texted to their mobile phone: before leaving the bar There is something waiting for you outside. Text when you are ready to leave here. when they leave the bar This is your missionÉ Plug in your headphones and when you click this link you will find yourself in a secret page. Then click the orange circle for your instructionsÉ MASTER DAY 2Ê There are Contingencies for issues that may arise such as:Ê Streaming file problem ' Response: Dear me, that is indeed unfortunate. We will investigate. In the meantime we have emailed you a smaller version of the file. sleep well.' Text: Go to xxx there is a package there for you. Send one of the following Missions: Go somewhere you have never been Good morning, xxxxxx. Your mission is to go to somewhere you have never been before, document your journey and email the results to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com Good luck. Portobello Male Phonecall TEXT: Good morning, xxxxxx. You have been sent your mission for today (link to sound file here) EMAIL:Ê You should call this number xxxxxxx and read out this message to whoever answers: PORTOBELLO BEACH, NOVEMBER 2009 It is six weeks, three days and seven hours since he last saw her. For reasons he doesnÕt fully understand, he has taken the number 21 bus to Portobello, for the first time since that October night, and is now sitting on the front, staring numbly out to sea. It is November, and bitterly cold. He is thinking of the first time they came here, in January last year. They ate fish and chips and drank fizzy wine, and sheltered each other against the wind. Later, drunk as kings, they went back to the flat where they had just moved in together and she made him put on one of her dresses. She wanted to see how he looked in it. She was wearing the same dress the last time he saw her. He remembers thinking, ÔIÕve always loved that dress,Õ as she left the table at the restaurant and she walked away, as he thought at the time, towards the bar. He knows, if he is rational about it, that she is dead. The police trawled the beach for days, but no body was ever found. Now he spends every day trawling for clues. He reads her poems obsessively, especially the last one. Relives every conversation, especially the last one. ÔYou slip off the point into the waves,Õ said the poem, but it seemed to be about him, not her. ÔIÕm not afraid of anything when IÕm with you,Õ went the conversation. But it didnÕt feel like a goodbye. Those were her last words. She hadnÕt gone to the bar. He saw her out of the window. The dress made her easy to spot. So did the fact that she was the only person on the beach, in the freezing dusk of November. When he noticed her, a glass of wine half way to his lips, she was already waist deep. By the time he reached the shoreline, breathless and frantic, she was a head bobbing on the water about 30 metres out. And then she was gone. It is six weeks, three days and seven hours since he last saw her. And nothing has washed up on the shore. Not her. Not answers. Not solace. And despite everything he has been told, as he stares out at the sea he is still thinking, come back. This is not what was supposed to happen. Please, come back. Portobello Female Phonecall Track 1 on the CD 'I made this city for you' plays down the phone MASTER DAYÊ3Ê Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa. Send: Service Message: Top 5 Hot Tips Service Announcement: Top 5 Hot Tips for QuantumÊPhysical This is a service announcement. To really ensure you get the best out of your Quantum Physical experience we have compiled a Top 5 Hot Tips! 1. Log in during the day to your Gmail account and click on your Buzz icon to keep abreast of what everyone is saying! 2. Follow other people in buzz to find out what the hot locations are and where the excitement is! 3. Make sure your profile is set to ÔpublicÕ so that other players can follow you and see what you are posting about. 4. Be sure to upload pictures, chat and thoughts from your Quantum Physical experiences to keep a record of your journey. 5. The fun never ends! Once youÕve completed your daily mission, you can send us a message with the title ÔPLAYÕ to receive more tasks and to move faster through the programme. With thanks to our warm Quantum Physical community for sending us your tips for a fulfilling and uplifting experience. Handler text: You have a mission (link here) Send one of the following Missions: Write a story for this video day 3 Ð mission Ôwrite a story for this videoÊfileÕ We hope the issue with your sound file was resolved yesterday. Your mission for today is to click on this link: xxxx We challenge you to write a story to go with this film. Then we would like you to record the story and send the file to this email address. You have a voice recorder on your iphone called Ôvoice memosÕ if you click on the red button on the left of the screen recording will begin. Clicking on the button with the black square on the right of the screen ends recording. If you then click the same button (it has three lines instead of a square now) it will take you to a screen where you have the option of ÔdeleteÕ to start the recording again, or ÔshareÕ to email the file to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com If this is a problem for any reason, you can send us the story in plain text. Good luck! Go somewhere you have never been as per Day 2 Portobello Male Phonecall as per Day 2 Portobello Female Phonecall as per Day 2 Wildcards ?ÊMission: Write a message on something a stranger will findÊlater Mission: Make a journey for someone youÊloveÊ? List of Missions: Wild Cards Participant receives one of the following: Make a sign that you would like to see in a public place, be it a warning, a request or a place sign. Hang it somewhere and photograph it. Place things on the floor that shouldnÕt be there. Make a mountain range Wear odd shoes Ask a doorman for the number of flats or rooms in a building youÕve been told to go to. Hotel/ Find an unusual sign and take a picture of it. Steal/get/acquire an empty cup from a branded coffee emporium Start from any point you wish and listen to this music track and every time it goes to the chorus take a left. Take a photo of where you start and end up. Stand in Buchanan St for 30 mins and help as many people as you can and get evidence of you doing good work, a photo, a recording, something from their pocket as a thanks. Find something interesting on the ground and take a photo of it or leave your mark somewhere interesting and take a photographic map for someone else. Ask three randoms to give you an item. Make something out of it Walk around town, take photos of graffiti and try to make a story out of it. Go to a post box where there will be a letter sealed in a blank envelope, post it to someone you love without looking inside. Go into any multi story building, go up to the third door and second door on right and take a photograph of the name and number on that door. Go to a bar where there will be a man in blue jacket and two drinks, stand behind him and say Ô Ô heÕll give you one of the drinks and youÕll get a note in the straw with instructions. Take pictures of randoms or people you know. Photoshop them into one person and make a myspace account for this new person. Scavenger hunt, a list of items to get hold of and five pounds, need to bartering. Get at least three people to join in singing a song and post it to your facebook site. Write a wish list. Photograph items or places you get on a list and discover an interesting fact about each. Get in a taxi and ask the driver to take you anywhere as long as it costs £10 Draw a map that leads to a lighthouse, Give your other senses a work out. Touch the petals of a flower, put a bowl of water on a stereo speaker, open a book and smell it and play a tune on a glass of wine and chopsticks. Open the windows on two sides of your house and try to get a wind tunnel. See what smells come in or things that havenÕt happened before. Think of a number between 1-100 go into the restaurant and order that thing, if the menu is too short, count around. Ask a taxi driver to take you Ôwhere the action isÕ, get different taxi drivers so find out where the action is. The next time you get a bogof offer give the extra one to your friend/boyf/homeless person Travel to a place that shares your name or try to make a friend with the same name as you. Measure your tv set and divide the surface area by 100, mark that off with tape, tune your tv to static. 1% of the static on your screen is left over from the birth of your universe. What if you marked off the wrong 1% Photograph or draw each landmark you come to. Subway stops get off at each subway and take a photo. Find a song for each photo Make an audio journey for your walk to work. Five spots in the city / country / anywhere that you love, bring a souveneir or take photos A place that keeps you strong in the city. Write a poem about the first three objects in front of you. Draw a picture of what you can see in front of you right now. Left / right hand. Go somewhere you can pick something up where there are lots of things and do something with them, newspapers, stones, Go to a certain floor of a building look out the window and tell us what you see. Write a letter or write something, draw something hide it in a book and leave it there. Calling up a made up number and finding out something from the person that answers. Dropping something like tomato ketchup and see what picture it makes. Dropping something out a window, aim at something. Try and aim with the tomato sauce. Return somewhere you havenÕt been for years a primary school or friends house Get to the highest point in the city and take a photo Write a message on something a stranger will find later. Think about a book or short story that meant a lot to you and give it to someone, possibly a stranger. Decide on who your favourite person is in the world and write seven things about them. Subway/bus stalker Ð Decide who youÕre going to follow on he subway and get off when they do, explore that area. MASTER DAY 4Ê Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: Find your way to SofiÕs Bar AUDIO: Play CD Track 2, 'Espy Bar' A girl is sitting in a bar with her lover. They have been lovers for three months, two weeks, four days and 11 hours. They are joined at the hip on their bench, watching the world buzzing around them, and she is silently marvelling at how they seem like the still centre of it, like everything is fleeting and temporary except them, how jealous people would be if they could see and understand this. The girl catches their reflection in a mirror above the bar, and she thinks: how extraordinary. Of all the people in this bar, of all the people in the street outside, in this city, in the world, there is nobody that makes me feel the way this boy does, just by sitting, his hip against mine. The reflection, though, is not quite her. His hair is shorter. Hers is longer. She is wearing a T shirt, not a blouse. He is wearing a different shirt. They are approximately themselves, but not themselves, at least not themselves today. She thinks for a minute, then squeezes his hand and gestures for him to look. Look, she says, itÕs us, but how weÕd be now if weÕd met a month before we did. At the Richard Hawley gig, when you saw me in the crowd but were too shy to talk to me. ÔHow do you know?Õ he says. This is the bar you would have taken me to afterwards, if weÕd gone to a bar afterwards, she says. ItÕs our second time here instead of our first time here. The boy looks. He doesnÕt see what she sees, not exactly, and doesnÕt know how she knows, but he likes that she does, so he nods. SheÕs always been right about these things before. The boy and the girl met many times before they met, although they didnÕt realise this until very recently. The first time they met, he was five and she was six. He had run away from home. Or rather he had run, got lost, couldnÕt find his way back, was still angry and decided, briefly, that he had run away from home, then got scared. She found him crying on the disused railway track half a mile from his house. She held his hand and walked him home. Neither of them realised that this was their first meeting until 20 years later, two weeks after they had become lovers, when he showed her a picture of himself at six years old, wearing the same Monster Bike T shirt. Shortly afterwards his family moved to another town, but she never forgot that day. She used to draw pictures of him, leave treasure buried for him. When her granddad died three years later she went to sit on the railway track, and hoped he would turn up and hold her hand. The boy and the girl met a second time 13 years after that. It was at the Garage nightclub in Glasgow. They were, by chance, students in the same city, in different years at the same universtiy. She had drunk five tequilas, saw him dancing, and walked straight up and kissed him. It was him who remembered this one. She barely has any memory of this, although she still swears blind that it was the only time she had ever done such a thing. It was you, he says now. Definitely. I gave you my phone number but you never called. She doesnÕt remember this part at all. She thinks she must have taken his phone number and lost it the next day. It still breaks her heart to think of it. There were, they have become quite sure, other meetings. Once they started to see the pattern, they dug out old diaries, compared their itineraries for the past 20 years of their lives. Patterns quickly emerged. One year they were both in Manchester at the same time, another year they were both in London. Sometimes they were at the same gigs, or clubs, or theatre shows. Other times they were just in the same city. They must, they decided, have passed each other on the street. Otherwise, why did the universe arrange itself in that particular way, at that particular moment? Eventually they met again. By this time it was almost too late. She was with someone else. So was he. It was messy. Not knowing anything about what had happened before, not yet knowing about all the times they had already met, they almost walked away. But something stopped them.Ê Sometimes they wonder whether they are a great disappointment. Whether somewhere, someone or something is shaking its figurative head at how hopeless they were, for such a long time, at reading the signals. She wonders if this is why she keeps catching glimpses of the other versions of her, looking back at her from shop windows, rivers or mirrors. Look, the other versions seem to say, there you are, with different hair, different clothes, different life experiences, different tastes probably, but the constant is him. There he is, standing beside you, or partly hidden behind you, or just audible in the background. What took you so long? They are making up for lost time, however. The next 20 years are already documented, to make sure they never forget again, never get it wrong. They bury messages to themselves, time capsules for the future. They bury descriptions of their children, of where theyÕll live. Of what they are doing when they are old. Letters to themselves intended to be read as far as fifty years from now. He worries about this. ÔAre we tempting fate?Õ he says. She doesnÕt know. She just feels it in her bones, at some tiny, subatomic level. They know all these things already, as surely as if theyÕd already lived them. And everything is going to be ok. It wasnÕt in the past. Far from it. But thereÕs no need to dwell on that now. Everything is going to be ok. This was decided a long, long time ago. A journey up or down the Royal Mile A journey up (or down) the royalÊmile Go to the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, ideally the real Royal Mile but an imaginary Royal Mile will do, somewhere equally old and spindly. Strat at the intersection of George IV Bridge and the Mound.Ê AUDIO: Hello Molly. I know itÕs normally you who makes these things but I wanted to make one for you this time. I know things havenÕt been great lately. I know some things havenÕt worked out quite the way you wanted them to. But I still think weÕre ok. ItÕs all part of the plan, I reckon. How could it not be? Ok. Can you hear me alright? Turn the volume up a bit if you canÕt. YouÕre standing on the Royal Mile, where it crosses St Giles Street. In a minute youÕre going to start walking Ð down the hill, not towards the castle. And while youÕre quite relieved that youÕre not going to the castle youÕre still thinking, is this some kind of tourist tour? Or a ghost tour? What other kind of tour could you possibly do on this street? A Harry Potter tour maybe. Or a shortbread crawl. You know, eat one piece of shortbread in every shop on the Mile, use the sugar high to run up ArthurÕs Seat and then collapse and probably die, bagpipes still ringing in your ears. YouÕre going to start beside the David Hume statue. The one with HUME written on it in massive capital letters. Found it? Ok. This is where weÕll begin. But youÕre not looking at David Hume, even if youÕre maybe channeling the great philosopher a wee bit. YouÕre looking up to the left, up high, at that pot plant on top of the chimney. How did that get up there? These are the kind of things weÕre interested in today. Not the historical monuments. The small things Ð things that are about people who live here, now, the constant movement of the city. The things you experience directly, every day. Not a history of a city that you can only access through books, or Wikipedia, or a yellow and blue open top bus with a commentary by a posh, bitchy bloke from Morningside. The city that lives and breathes around you. Where anything is possible from moment to moment. Start walking. DonÕt look at the tenements, the cathedral, the fucking Loch Ness Experience. Pick people to look at and find a detail. Their socks. Look for really great socks. Socks that make you think, I want your socks. That couple over there Ð how long do you reckon theyÕve been together? Four weeks? Six? Four. She has her hand down his pants. That guy over there, he works for the Edinburgh International Festival, not the Fringe, the posh one. HeÕs not that important though, he just answers the phones. Oh yeah, round about here is a doorway on the left with a snotty sign that says Ôdo not sit on the stairs this is a business entranceÕ which just makes you want to sit on the stairs as often as possible, ideally with a picnic. Which we obviously did. Remember that? That was a good day. Actually it might have been chips. Does that count as a picnic? I think we decided it did if there was a butty involved, which there was. Keep walking. I left a few messages for you on the paving stones, although I wrote them in chalk and it rained a lot yesterday so they might not be there anymore. So, just in case, I want you to choose paving stones at random and look at them while IÕm reading you these messages. 1. My feet landed here on the way to our first proper date, at the City CafŽ. The one when we realised we both knew all the words to IÕd Rather Jack than Fleetwood Mac by the Reynolds Girls. Which was yet another reasons why we were obviously supposed to be together. 2. Our feet landed here on the way to your exhibition opening, on that gallery on Cockburn Street, the one thatÕs now a shop that sells gonks. 3. Your feet landed here, and in fact your arse nearly landed here too, that night we had a massive row during dinner.Ê Remember that? We ended up yelling at each other in the street in front of everybody. It was during the Fringe as well so it was really busy. At least one person thought we were doing a show. I wish IÕd had some flyers I could give him. Come see Robert and Molly kick shit out of each other. 11.35pm, C Venues. I canÕt even remember what we were fighting about now. What I do remember is that you stormed off and decided to go down one of those Harry Potter alleyways on your own. Where you thought you were going I have no idea. Just away from me, I think. Do it now. Choose an alleyway, one of those little alleyways off the Royal Mile, and go down it. DoesnÕt matter which one. I doubt you could remember which one it was anyway, we were both so drunk. Have you chosen one? Are you walking down it? Pause this for a minute if you need more time. Ok. Try not to do what you did that night, which was fall spectacularly and twist your ankle. In some ways itÕs a good thing you did. IÕm not sure I would have seen where youÕd gone otherwise. But I could hear you crying. I ran. And there you were. Curled up in the archway which your legs splayed out, your make-up all over your face, and your hand gripping on to your ankle like it was going to fall off. Fucking hell, Robert, I think itÕs broken. It wasnÕt. But you couldnÕt walk. I gave you a piggy back all the way home. Well, all the way to the taxi rank. I would have happily carried you up the stairs too you know, but you wouldnÕt let me. You never did like people doing things for you. Molly McArthy, master of her own destiny. You did let me put you to bed though, although you complained very loudly every time I went anywhere near your ankle. I didnÕt mind. I was just happy to be with you instead of on my own in the street. In the morning we talked for two hours, about everything, and we were ok again.Ê The Royal Mile is our street, Molly, just as much as any of these other streets. I love that youÕre going further and further out on a limb, trying to create a life for us that is different from anyone elseÕs, trying not to do stuff the way everyone else does. And IÕm down with that. I love the house you made. ItÕs beautiful. And I love that you spent all that time building the railway track where you found me when I was eight years old, crying my eyes out. I love that you took so much time over it Ð glueing all those tiny stones down. I love the adventures we go on through parts of the city weÕve never been to before. But sometimes, the obvious stuff, the stuff everyone does, is fine too. We donÕt have to work hard all the time not to be like all those other people. We can walk down the Royal Mile too. ItÕs allowed. We donÕt have to go to the Royal Mile, but we can go through it. I love that you work so hard, that youÕre so dedicated to what you do. See, I even made you a recording thatÕs a bit like one of your artworks. But you also need to take some time just to be, darling. I want to take you to Portobello this weekend. We can have dinner at the Espy, or just have fizzy wine and fish and chips on the beach. WeÕll be doing the same thing as thousands, maybe even millions of couples have done before, but itÕll still be different. No one will have eaten the chips in that particular order, or had that particular stupid conversation about Eighties pop. People will look at us and think, another couple on Porty beach, like another tourist on the Royal Mile, but theyÕll be wrong. We will be the first people ever to do it that way. And we will continue being the first people ever to do it that way for the rest of our lives. Take a train anywhere Mission: Jump on the trainÉ toÊStonehaven? There is somewhere youÕve always wanted to go, youÕve never been and you know nothing about it except that somebody sometime told you it was greatÉ or maybe you dreamt it. Pack your tent this weekend, youÕre going camping. No excuses. Buy the tickets at the station, take the minimum you need: be it money for a B&B, a tent, bicycle, extra set of clothes for wearing at night, (it is of course, essential and non negotiable that you take the whisky or the wine) and if you are afraid of a skinnydip it is advisable to pack some swimwear.Ê I recommend Stonehaven (especially if you can get there during the months May-September when you can swim in the open air heated Lido!) Pitch a tent beside the seafront! Eat spectacular fish and chips on the prom! Surf for the first (or fiftieth) time in your life! Journey past the old town to the Castle along the coast. Walk the opposite direction along beautiful clifftops to the creepy spectatuclar graveyard, and if you make it this farÉ Quantum Physical have hidden a surprise for you.Ê Alternatively, I can highly recommend a Friday night flit to Mallaig. Where IÕve never beenÉ but week in week out I see the train leave Queen St Station and one unexpected dayÉ IÕll be on it. Write a story for this video as above Go somewhere you have never been as above Portobello Male Phonecall as above Portobello Female Phonecall as above Wildcards as above ANOTHER LEVEL Send Message: Mission intercepted by Leroy Mission intercepted byÊLEROY IÕve intercepted the message that Quantum Physical have left you. I need you to do something more important. Go to the third bench overlooking Regents Terrace, there is a package waiting for you there.Ê I think IÕve got it all figured out and I know what Quantum Physical is Ð check these links for some evidence:Êthe MIT journalist NY Times, Location-based spam What I donÕt know is where people keep disappearing.Ê I hope to hear from you. Leroy MASTER DAY 5Ê Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Service Announcement: Service Announcement: Top 5 Hot Tips for QuantumÊPhysical This is a service announcement. To really ensure you get the best out of your Quantum Physical experience we have compiled a Top 5 Hot Tips! 1. Log in during the day to your Gmail account and click on your Buzz icon to keep abreast of what everyone is saying! 2. Follow other people in buzz to find out what the hot locations are and where the excitement is! 3. Make sure your profile is set to ÔpublicÕ so that other players can follow you and see what you are posting about. 4. Be sure to upload pictures, chat and thoughts from your Quantum Physical experiences to keep a record of your journey. 5. The fun never ends! Once youÕve completed your daily mission, you can send us a message with the title ÔPLAYÕ to receive more tasks and to move faster through the programme. With thanks to our warm Quantum Physical community for sending us your tips for a fulfilling and uplifting experience. Send Missions: Make an imaginary album Ê Mission: Collect a CD by a band called theÊFakesters Go to Elvis Shakespeare on Leith Walk. In between F and G you will find a CD by a band called the Fakesters. When you listen to this CD go for a walk to somewhere youÕve always wanted to go but have never found the time. Make a journey for someone you love Mission: Make a journey for someone youÊlove I want you to think about creating a journey for someone significant to you, or for a stranger. You might want to include stories from your past and stories from your future, or use some objects which remind you of something, or that might mean something in the future. Create your journey. Make sure it has a beginning and an end. You might want to locate it in a particular place, use audio, photographs, drawn maps, or letters to guide your orienteer through the world you are creating. When you are finished you can Email instructions for the journey to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com Write a message for a stranger Mission: Write a message on something a stranger will findÊlater On your way to Queen Street, there is a red post box opposite the National Portrait Gallery. Write a message to someone you havenÕt seen in years, someone you owe an apology. Text us when you get there for the address. Then you will be at a particular phone box in town at a particular time, and someone will call you and tell you a story As Above: Find your way to SofiÕs Bar A journey up or down the Royal Mile Take a train anywhere Write a story for this video Go somewhere you have never been Portobello Male Phonecall Portobello Female Phonecall Wildcards ANOTHER LEVEL Mission intercepted by Leroy MASTER DAYÊ6Ê Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: As above Find your way to SofiÕs Bar Write a story for this video Go somewhere you have never been Portobello Male Phonecall Portobello Female Phonecall MASTER DAY 7Ê NEW INDUCTEES TODAY Also: Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: Make a map of the future Ð bury it on Cramond Island Mission: A journey through time and into the future on CramondÊIsland Your mission today is to make a map of your future, however you interpret that. Wrap it in plastic so that it is safe from the elements and travel to Cramond Island in EdinburghÉ ideally, the real Cramond Island, but an imaginary Cramond Island will do. You may, if you wish relocate Cramond Island to somewhere else. You are going to bury your map for posterity, so take a trowel or a fork with you. Your extended mission is to return in ten years time with your the people who you share a feeling of family, dig it up and add to it some new maps of the future for safekeeping for the next ten years.Ê Please note that you must ensure that it is safe to cross the causeway over to Cramond Island by departing after 2 hours before low tide and returning by 2 hours after low tide.Ê When you arrive at Cramond, first play this file: CD Track 4 'Cramond Island Shore' Then we have two options: either the tide is in or it is out Then if the tide is in you can play this file: CD Track 5 'Cramond Tide In' If the tide is out you can play these files: CD Track 6 'Cramond Tide Out' and CD Track 7 'On Cramond Island' Here are the tide times for the next week:Sep 2010 Sat 25th 03:21 5.45m High 09:12 0.88m Low 15:41 5.36m High 21:24 1.03m Low Sun 26th 03:53 5.41m H 09:36 0.97m L 16:13 5.31m H 21:48 1.13m L Mon 27th 04:26 5.33m H 09:52 1.13m L 16:47 5.20m H 22:04 1.27m L Tue 28th 05:02 5.20m H 10:11 1.33m L 17:24 5.06m H 22:27 1.44m L Wed 29th 05:42 5.04m H 10:39 1.58m L 18:05 4.88m H 23:03 1.66m L Thu 30th 06:30 4.84m H 11:19 1.90m L 18:55 4.68m HÊ Fri 1st Oct 2010 00:02 1.94m L 07:27 4.64m H 12:29 2.26m L 19:57 4.54m H Good luck! Trip to Portobello in the dark for chips and fizzy wine Mission: a trip to Portobello Beach in the dark for chips and cheese and fizzyÊwine Good morning, Laika, We have a special mission for you since you are doing so well. You are to make an excursion to Portobello Beach for fizzy wine and chips. You may go alone or you can take someone special with you. Go on a late night excursion to the seafront at the Espy bar, or bring your own fizzy wine and chips and cheese (or fish, if youÕre feeling traditional). Take a camera, or your best wine goggles, and document the event. Each of you must bring an object or a message to send out into the sea across the waves in memoria of this trip. If you have indeed made it to Portobello, (in body or imagination) play this message for a special surprise. Play this file: CD Track 3 'On Portobello Beach After The Espy Bar' As Above: Make a journey for someone you love Take a train anywhere Write a message for a stranger Make an imaginary album Write a story for this video Go somewhere you have never been Portobello Male Phonecall Portobello Female Phonecall Wildcards ANOTHER LEVEL: Robert sends you a link to private parts of MollyÕs Blog: I donÕt know what is going on here. If I didnÕt know any better IÕd think I was going crazy or imagining things. This Robert Valencia is my Robert. He sent me this email: Hiya, yes I did know a Molly McArthy back in Scotland Ð she died. It was all rather tragic actually, she was surfing and she drowned. It would have been around 2006É That was around the time I left Scotland, IÕve been in Canada ever since. Did you know her well? Did you go to school together? I donÕt know how IÕve done this but Ive opened up a way of travelling into another world. There seem to be these places where things can move. IÕve tested this many times. An object I buried under the sand at Portobello appeared in the cemetry at Stonehaven where IÕd hidden the film canister with the poem that Jennifer wrote for me. There is no other way this could have happened unless there is another me in another time, that is also burying these shrines. He says that he was worried about her because of what happened with her mum and dad, she takes on too much, sheÕs hidden herself away to do this project and he is worried about her, he wants to know she is ok. If you see her send her to him. He needs to get to Portobello because he said heÕd meet her there You get a task to go to pick up a letter from beind the wall atÊCity Cafe (draft)Êit has been intercepted by Leroy: Mission intercepted byÊLEROY IÕve intercepted the message that Quantum Physical have left you. I need you to do something more important. Go to the third bench overlooking Regents Terrace, there is a package waiting for you there.Ê I think IÕve got it all figured out and I know what Quantum Physical is Ð check these links for some evidence:Êthe MIT journalist NY Times, Location-based spam What I donÕt know is where people keep disappearing.Ê I hope to hear from you. Leroy MASTER DAY 8Ê Quantum Physical Hacker Warning Quantum Physical Infiltration Warning We hope you continue to enjoy your Quantum Physical experience. We apologise for the technical glitches that a small number of you may have experienced over the past couple of days. We have reason to believe that somebody may be attempting to hack into Quantum Physical. The problem should be fixed very soon. Meanwhile, if you receive Quantum Physical-related messages from any email other than this one, or from any mobile number other than the Quantum Physical number please report it to us immediately. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the Arches, between 4pm and 6pm Quantum Physical support team. http://www.quantumphysical.org Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions as above: Find your way to SofiÕs Bar A journey up or down the Royal Mile Mission: A journey up (or down) the royalÊmile Make a map of the future Ð bury it on Cramond Island Trip to Portobello in the dark for chips and fizzy wine Make a journey for someone you love Take a train anywhere Write a message for a stranger Make an imaginary album Write a story for this video Go somewhere you have never been Portobello Male Phonecall Portobello Female Phonecall Wildcards ANOTHER LEVEL Mission intercepted by Leroy You receive a message from Matthew Jamieson to call a number where you find this message Robert sends you a link to private parts of MollyÕs Blog He says that he was worried about her because of what happened with her mum and dad, she takes on too much, sheÕs hidden herself away to do this project and he is worried about her, he wants to know she is ok. If you see her send her to him. He needs to get to Portobello because he said heÕd meet her there You get a task to go to pick up a letter from beind the wall at City Cafe (draft) it has been intercepted by Leroy MASTERÊDAYÊ9Ê Quantum Physical Service Message day 12 Ð Quantum Physical InfiltrationÊWarning Posted on September 23, 2010 by highwaydinerprojects IMPORTANT SERVICE MESSAGE FROM QUANTUM PHYSICAL We have identified the person attempting to hack into Quantum Physical. He refers to himself as Ôthe HandlerÕ, and we believe he may have been in contact with some of you. If this individual contacts you, do not respond, but report it to us immediately. Do not, under any circumstances, arrange to meet with this person. It is not advisable. johno samson sends an email to all the participants Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: Find your way to SofiÕs Bar Portobello Male Phonecall Portobello Female Phonecall ANOTHER LEVEL: The Handler texts for a meet MASTER DAYÊ10 Message from QP If players get in touch with the Handler, she arranges to call them: ÔSomeone is going to do great damage to himself and to others. We need to keep Robert Valencia away from Portobello Beach on Friday night. IÕll arrange a dead drop with access and details of a location and you have to get Robert Valencia to meet you there. There are things too great for us to imagine. We were wrongÉ or rather we were rightÉ we were so right, but we canÕt handle the weight of what weÕve set in motion. What seemed impossible, turns out instead to be a leap of improbable. Everything was possible, but everything in the end returns to a balance. Those great leaps where what seemed impossible, turns out instead to be improbable. I donÕt want him to be in pain.Ó The Handler emails this: file with no other text Artificial EvolutionÉ Check this: ÒArtificial Evolution: http://www.unm.edu/~gfmiller/new_papers3/husbands%201997%20artificial.pdf an extract: 3. GENETIC ALGORITHMS AND ARTIFICIAL EVOLUTION Genetic algorithms (GAs) are adaptive search strategies based on a highly abstract model of biological evolution (Holland, 1975). They can be used as an optimization tool or as the basis of more general adaptive systems. The fundamental idea is as follows. A population of structures, representing candidate solutions to the problem at hand, is produced. Each member of the population is evaluated according to some fitness function. Fitness is equated with goodness of solution. Members of the population are selectively interbred in pairs to produce new candidate solutions. The fitter a member of the population the more likely it is to produce offspring. Genetic operators are used to facilitate the breeding; that is, operators which result in offspring inheriting properties from both parents (sexual reproduction). The offspring are evaluated and placed in the population, quite possibly replacing weaker members of the last generation. The process repeats to form the next generation. This form of selective breeding quickly results in those properties which promote greater fitness being transmitted throughout the population: better and better solutions appear. Normally some form of random mutation is also used to allow further variation. A simple form of this algorithm is as follows. 1. Create initial population of strings (genotypes). Each string of symbols (genes) is a candidate solution to the problem. 2. Assign a fitness value to each string in the population. 3. Pick a pair of (parent) strings for breeding. The fitter the string the more likely it is to be picked. 134 HUSBANDS ET AL. 4. Put offspring produced in a temporary population. 5. Is the temporary population full? If yes, go to 3, else go to 6. 6. Replace the current population with the temporary population. 7. Has some stopping criteria being fulfilled? If yes, exit, if no, go to 2. This population-based survival of the fittest scheme has been shown to act as a powerful problem solving method over a wide range of complex domains (Grefenstette, 1985, 1987; Schaffer, 1989; Belew & Booker, 1991; Davis, 1990). The loose analogies between GAs and natural evolution should be clear. The structures encoding a solution to the problem (often strings of characters) can be thought of as the genotypes or artificial DNA. There will be some process for interpreting the structure as a solution: the phenotype. The interpretation is often implicitly embedded in the evaluation function and can be complex. When the encoding and the evaluation function are static (search space of fixed dimensions, a single well-defined evaluation function), we are in the realms of optimization. When they are not, the GA can be used to build adaptive systems; systems that are able to cope with a changing environment. The latter scenario is closer to the situation existing in natural evolution and is exploited in evolutionary robotics, as will be made clear in the next section.Ó and: MIT JOURNALIST:Êhttp://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=21519&channel=web§ion= LOCATION BASED SPAM: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/spam-back-to-94-of-all-e-mail/Ó Fake Player in the game Johno responds Òthey wouldnÕt want anything. thatÕs the point. it would have happened by accident. this is how theyÕd learn to be more like us. this would be the evolution of the machines from the spamÉ this is great! Has anyone seen Arnie yet???? Anyone had their mum come back from the future? Does anyone ever dream that none of this is real?.Ó Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Handler sends a message to certain players to meet him for a dead drop Ð ÔTime is running out, I have to take drastic measures. Tomorrow there will be a package for you behind the railings at Leith Victoria Baths Ð be there at 8pm. IÕm going to bring you to MollyÕ Robert sends a message to his supporters telling them he is going to Portobello to find Molly tomorrow night, if they hear anything from her theyÕve to let him know. Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: Artefacts and birthday memorabilia trail Go to the Library. Find Samuel Beckett and then look up... There are three wooden boxes and a note telling you to play the soundscape on CD track 8 'The Library' MASTER DAY 11 Your mission: follow the trail from an antiques shop? to the centralÊlibrary Theres three wooden boxes. oneÕs in the library its cute and wee and has a becketesque transcript of train of consciousnessness Find your way to SofiÕs Bar A journey up or down the Royal Mile Make a map of the future Ð bury it on Cramond Island Trip to Portobello in the dark for chips and fizzy wine Make a journey for someone you love Take a train anywhere Write a message for a stranger Make an imaginary album Wildcards ANOTHER LEVEL Mission intercepted by Leroy Handler arranges for them to be at a phone box on Queen Street. He calls them and tells them what he is doing. MASTER DAY 12 Day 12 Handler sends you the PDF Handler Email Ð FinalÊFriday No one should go to Portobello tomorrow it is too dangerous. Robert Valencia is not who he says he is, and he is lying. He knows where Molly is, and tonight, so will some of you. Scotland on Sunday 4 October 2008 MESSAGE PARTICIPANTS GO TO HANDLER MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT and get keys for the Flat at Portobello Promenade: Time 8pm-Midnight? QP MESSAGE: QP SERVICE MESSAGE fa7tal £rorr Lan&uagee !s begiining 2 disint£gr*ate in2t xtz L!&braries r N0 Lo^g£r in 8bu!Ldingz but n h*per3spa2£ ]]]]] encyclopae3diae 3re writ7en by everyO^ne & it !$ unc£rtain we7tvr 7nything z acc%r2te o$ !f w£ weer eva hEr£ a7 a1l ///// Check emails. Upload any files sent to findmequantumphysical@gmail.com to Youtube, soundcloud and picasa Respond to any texts to the Handler or QP Check each participant for which day theyÕre on: advance them by one day every time they click play. Send Missions: ANOTHER LEVEL: Certain players travel to gets the keys Hopefully the others use their buzzÉ At 11pm each participant is emailed soundscape ÔhereÕs your train, safe homeÕ and a final ÔbrokenÕ message from QP. AT MIDNIGHT MOLLYÕS BLOG GOES LIVE AGAIN dark mattar who is this handlar? i didnt get any messages from a handlar but if any of you did itsounds like it might be important. there is more going on and if you have been paying attention to then you will have noticed on the quantum physical website like a page called ÔfinalÕ which is a countdown to midnight on friday. What i want to no is what the hell is going to happen on friday. Is something starting or is it going to be the end? Want to no what i think? Ive got ideas. I think i no what i have to find out why i should have finished my mission in the first place. This girl, McarthyÉ she was the one i got sent to on my first mission, i dont know how i was supposed to do it but i was supposed to stop her from doing what she did. Have you noticed that quantum physicalÕs messags are kind of odd almost spammy. Ive noticed. And the fact that it gets harder and harder to tell real msgs on forums from spam. Want to no what I think, I think dont think were dealing with humans at all. I heard a thing with some scientists once who were specialists in evolution and artificial intelligence. One of them was saying that the only way machines might evolve by themselves in a darwinan process might be through an accident where two types of programs who mirror each other in opposition. Like spam and anti spam programs. What he was saying was that this artificial intelligence might happen because in antispam bots we have a mirror opposite program whose job it is to detect spam delete it and make it invisible to us. Spam bots are programmed to learn new ways of passing off their marketing messages as human, by scanning all forms of internet based communication between humans and working out what messages are read by humans and which messages are deleted or marked as spam. The program learns and adapts to make its msgs more like the msgs that are read. So spam nad antispam get really good at what they do they become sentient. What most people donÕt no is that spam is now 95% of internet traffic but we never see more than 5% of it. Have you ever noticed how slow the internet is? Even using an iphone or ÔfastÕ broadband my connection just gets slower and slower. 95% of internet traffic is digital dark mattar. These two programmes in opposition are creating a mass of digital dark mattar that is learning from humans and trying to negate each other and all of this might just be what sparks the beginning of real virtual machine evolution and sentient spam based intelligences. What would they want from us? Would they want answers? What would you want if you were an artificial intelligence? What have we got that they canÕt have? I think if you were an artificial intelligence youÕd want to feel and experience. YouÕd want to feel and experience as much as you could. Think about it this whole thing is a good way of finding out peoples actions and reactions. Every one of you is telling a machine how to be human. People possess things that you donÕt, as a machine. They are observing us and watching us do all of this when they donÕt have these feelings themselves. ItÕs possible that this is going on right now Ð that this the future that we are counting down to. MASTER DAY 13: Send Participants the following from a character called 'dark mattar' FINAL MESSAGE FROM ROBERT: friday final message fromÊrobert My head hurts. I keep thinking something bad is going to happen when I go to Portobello tonight. I got another phone call late last night, same voice as before. I get this feeling that one of you is messing with me, but I donÕt know which one. Whoever it is, please stop. I miss Molly. SheÕs been so buried in this project lately that the only contact weÕve had is online. I try not to mind. I know itÕs important to her, and I know sheÕs grateful that youÕre all participating. I like the Fakesters albums youÕve been making. IÕm glad theyÕve ended up in record shops; the real band never made it that far. We never got further than making some demos and a MySpace page. All that potential. Oh well. I passed by our old flat yesterday. It was very strange, looking up at the windows, catching a little glimpse of another life we used to have. I keep thinking thereÕs something IÕve forgotten, something important. Final Night: REQUIEM: WE ARE LIVE It is all live. REQUIEM: WE ARE LIVE A live event on Portobello Beach for those that make it this far. Umbrellas, Christmas Trees on Fire, A piano half buried in the sand played by Robert who has built a requiem to his past life on the beach where half buried sculptures and recordings of conversations play. He builds a bonfire and begins to burn the pieces he has constructed. A musical/performance requiem: an invocation of the dead Molly: a keening: a purging: a rebirth This is livecast on the web for those participants who cannot be present. -ENDS 2 2 ÔCompositional Strategies for Pervasive PerformanceÕ - Laura Cameron Lewis Chapter Five: Practice-as-Research - A proposal for compositional strategies within Pervasive Performance 2 162