Mediaturge: creative technical assistance in the performing arts

Mediaturge is a professional technical assistant in fine arts production, supporting projects from the technical side, from conception to production. The Mediaturge is familiar with all areas of technology, not only scenography, lighting, sound and video, but also Bio and generative AI, laying the foundations for the realisation of the artist’s vision and contributing to a deeper understanding of the work’s world for the audience.

Dramaturgs, on the other hand, are responsible for deepening the world of the work and facilitating audience understanding through interpreting the work, analysing the play, advising the director and actors, and interacting with the audience.

The birth and evolution of mediaturgy

The term ‘mediaturg’ was coined by me to describe the role that the Yamaguchi Centre for Arts and Media [YCAM] has developed in its 20 years of activity as the YCAM InterLab.

When YCAM was first established, the InterLab was designed as a technical staff for the performing arts, and over its 20-year journey, influenced by MIT’s FAB philosophy (personal fabrication), it has focused on the social aspects and incorporated media thinking into the dramaturgy (mediaturgy) of the performing arts It has become a

It is an important element in solving social problems and requires each individual to take responsibility for the problem. In the traditional integrated workplace of film and television production, each department was expected to take responsibility for quality, but in today’s democratic problem-solving, leadership is required beyond expertise, and the creation of such a democratic space is part of the work of the media-turg.

Differences between the roles of mediaturgs and dramaturgs

Although dramaturgs and mediaturgs differ in approach, they share a common role as military strategists who work with artists to facilitate artistic creation.

Dramaturgs have in recent years become more facilitative and include aspects of facilitating communication between people, not only by supporting the intentions of the director or choreographer, but also by coordinating the practice of actors and dancers from different backgrounds.

All of these have the common role of facilitating artistic expression in cooperation with the artist. This requires them to utilise their different specialisations and to cooperate with each other in order to generate and sustain a democratic space for artistic expression.

[Exhibition] Ryuichi Sakamoto | seeing sound, hearing time | 2024-2025 | Install

[Installation/VR-content] Ho Tzu Nyen | Voice of Void ヴォイス・オブ・ヴォイド―虚無の声 | 2021 | Technical Direction

[Performance] 細井美裕+石若駿+ YCAMSound Mine | Technical Direction

[Installation] Reincarnation of Media Art メディアアートの輪廻転生 | 2018 | Technical Direction

[Play park] 慶應義塾大学鳴川肇研究室+YCAM InterLab | コロガル公園コモンズつながるブロック | 2018 | Technical construction

[Performance] Israel Galván+YCAM InterLab | イスラエル+Israel | 2019 |  Technical Direction

[Sports Day/Hackathon] 未来の山口の運動会YCAM/スポーツハッカソン | 2015-2021 | Developlayer / Technical Direction

[lecture performance] Jareo Osamu, Sinichiro Kumagai | 随意と不随意の境界線を眩く| 2016 | motion capture design

[Performance] YCAM InterLab＋Yoko Ando | Dividual Plays – Dialogue between the unconscious and systems 身体の無意識とシステムとの対話 | 2015-2016 |  R&D / Technical Direction

[Performance] Shiro Takatani + Ryuichi Sakamoto + Mansai Nomura | LIFE –WELL | 2013 | Video assistance

[Performance] Ryuichi Sakamoto, Taylor Deupree, ILLUHAYCAM 10th Anniversary CONCERT LIVE OPENING 2013 | Video production

[Installation] Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani | water state 1 | 2013 | Device design

[R&D project] dance creation and education, with Yoko Ando +  YCAM InterLab, a dancer from The Forsythe Company | Reactor for Awareness in Motion (RAM) | 2012 | Technical Direction

[Opera] Keiichiro Shibuya + Toshiki Okada 渋谷慶一郎＋岡田利規 | THE END | 2012 | Technical Direction

[Installation] LabACT vol.2 Eye-Tracking Informatics – 視線のモルフォロジー | 2011-2012 | Venue design, Device Design

[Symposium] YCAM InterLab Camp vol.2 TECHTILEという考え方：触感を表現する・触感で表現する | 2011 | Plan

[Installation] Yoko Ando + YCAM InterLab | Reacting Space for Dividual Behavio | 2011 | Device Design

[Dialogue & Concert] Ryuichi Sakamoto (musician) Shinichi Takemura, Sachiko M | 2050年から見る環境と芸術の未来 | 2011| Video production

[Installation] Seiko Mikami 三上晴子| Desire of Codes 欲望のコード | 2010 |Robot search arm device design

[Installation] Fujiko Nakatani+Shiro Takatani 中谷芙二子＋高谷史郎 | CLOUD FOREST | 2010 | Device design coordination

[Performance] Hiroaki Umeda 梅田宏明 | Holistic Strata | 2011| Sensing Engineer, Video 

[Installation] Carsten Nicolai+Marko Perihan | polarm | 2010 | Install

[Installation] Yoshihide Otomo 大友良英 | quartets | 2008 | Device design, Shooting direction

[Installation] Yoshihide Otomo 大友良英 | orchestras | 2008 | Device design

[Installation] Yoshihide Otomo + Yasutoshi Aoyama 大友良英＋青山泰知 | without records | 2008 | exhibition stand design

[Performance] Strange Kinoko Dance Company＋plaplax 珍しいキノコ舞踊団＋plaplax | The Rainy Table | 2010 | Device design, Shooting direction

[Installation] doubleNegatives Architecture | Corpora in Si(gh)te | 2007 | Install

[Installation] Keiichiro Shibuya+Takashi Ikegami 渋⾕慶⼀郎＋池上⾼志 | filmachine | 2006 | Install

[Installation] exonemo エキソニモ | WORLD B/意識を裏返し,B面をPLAYせよ | 2006 |Install

[Installation] carsten nicolai | syn chron | 2005 | Install

[Installation] Seiko Mikami+Sota Ichikawa三上晴子+市川創太 | gravicells 重力と抵抗 | 2004 | Install

[Performance/Installation] dumb type | Voyage | 2004 | video assistant

[Performance/Installation] dumb type | memorandum | 2000 | Actor. Video assistant