PIKSEL

Piksel Kidz – LIVE Coding with HYDRA.

Another round of Piksel Kidz is right around the corner! From Tuesday 28th of November until Friday 1st of December kids, parents, youngsters and adults are welcome to studio 207 where the digital-craft artist Florencia Alonso (Flor de Fuego) will guide the group on tips and tricks of Live coding using the open source software Hydra.

In 2015, Piksel Festival, the Bergen festival focusing on new media art and open digital culture, introduced Piksel KidZ Lab, an artistic laboratory for kids to understand and build new media artworks. After 9 years of experience working with kids and technology, the program is rooted in the autumn schools program. Piksel KidZ Lab will be held in Bergen during the autumn of 2023.

Throughout the 3 hours workshop the kids will experiment programming with very simple code sounds and visuals. The workshop intends to de-mystify technology and reveal its design decisions, limitations, and creative potential. Kids will produce a final performance all together at the end of the workshop.

In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Hydra – a live coding environment created by Olivia Jack. Using live programming, they will have the opportunity to explore image and camera manipulation and create unique visuals. Additionally, we will discuss the various formats where video plays a crucial role, such as live concerts, art installations, and music videos.

Hydra is a web-based video synthesizer. Olivia describes live coding as writing code in real time to make visuals and/or music as part of a performance. Originally begun as a series of explorations in the browser, Hydra is now used by a large community of live coding performers who perform in clubs and other venues, as well as in online streamed performances throughout the pandemic. There are many resources for getting started with Hydra, and a number of spin-off projects including PIXELJAM, also by Olivia, which allows multiple performers to do live coding together. There are also periodic online meetups where live coders worldwide meet up to talk and show off their works created with Hydra.

Hydra is live code-able video synth and coding environment that runs directly in the browser. It is free and open-source and made for beginners and experts alike.

Duration: 4 hours.
The workshop repeats every day in 2 possible schedules:
mornings from 10:00 to 13:00 for schools
late afternoon from 16:00-19:00 for individual kids

Age: 10-88 years old. Parents and young adults are also welcome!

Place: Studio 207, Strandgaten 207, 5004 Bergen

To secure a spot, send us an email to piksel23(AT)piksel.no with the Subject line Piksel Kidz.

Remember to include the day and time you wish to sign up for as well as name and age of participants!