On June 5, 2022 we celebrated World Environment Day with three artistic installations of the students of the International Master in Multimedia Creation for the Performing Arts and Live Shows of LABA Valencia.

The project originated on a proposal by Elisa Valía, councilor of the Integral Water Cycle and Citizen Participation and Active Neighborhood in the City Hall of Valencia. Valía shared with the directors of LABA Valencia the interest in generating artistic activities that offer to the public new approaches to water, activities that could engage in connecting and interacting with Valencia citizens.

In March, Lorena Padilla, director of communications for this department, gave a passionate talk to the Master’s students about the water cycles. The Municipal Delegation of the Integral Water Cycle develops its activity in many stages: Beginning with water collection, going through purification and distribution to consumers. As Padilla explained, water´s management requires sustainable procedures both to avoid waste and to comply with the environmental requirements of the natural cycle.

The first five months of the Master’s course have passed, and the students have been trained in the use of the most advanced software currently available: Madmapper and After Effects for video mapping and the video scene, Ableton for sound editing, composition and live performance, Touchdesigner for lighting and interactivity in the scene and Kalliope for interaction with different audiences.

This baggage converges in the proposal of the installations, along with the great challenge it meant for the students, as it is their first experience of transdisciplinary and collaborative work.
The creation and implementation took the following steps: During the Easter vacation, after the meeting with Lorena Padilla, the students divided in 3 groups and began with the task of conceptualization of three installation proposals, one per group. During the following weeks they worked on the development of their respective projects. Through weekly objectives, they conceived the installations around four main tools: music, video-scene, light and interaction.

“The students were supported at all times by Manuel Conde, Pablo Álvarez, Siddharth Gautam and Pierluigi Barberis, professors responsible for the different modules of the Master’s Degree. The premiere of these installations is a great opportunity and an important challenge for the students, as well as a beautiful occasion for the city to enrich itself with an experimental training offered in the performing arts sector.” Explained Cristina Casanova, director of the Master’s program.

Thus, Nave 3 located at the entrance of Valencia Parc Central, opened its doors on June 5, honoring us with the responsibility of the inaugural event.