This project is based on the Interactive Electronic Music Workshops directed by Jonathan Impett and Bert Bongers at the Dartington International Summer School. The aim of the Dartington project is to investigate how the use of electronic digital media influence the collaboration between musicians as the activities of composition and performance become conflated in new technologies ("Hypermusic"), and the relationship between music and visual arts ("The Sighting of Sound") as well as other art forms such as dance and architecture. The approach emphasises practical aspects; the multidisciplinary team finds its common ground in working together on performance issues. Individual roles in this new situation have to be established, and the traditional notions are further challenged by employing an electronic network through which audio, performance and image material can be exchanged in real time. The fourteen artists together constitute an "orchestra", developing its own repertoire and conventions, as well as working on several individual and group projects. Communication within the group as well as dissemination of knowledge takes place by applying internet based technologies (this web site, ftp, e-mail, webcasts) as well as in the physical world. This will provide the mediating hub for joint performance and research, such that physically distributed activity can subsequently continue in the same mode.
The long term goal is to establish a 'travelling circus' of knowledge and practice that visits places to teach as well as to learn. In bringing together the approaches of different artists, it is hoped to encourage the emergence of common terms, issues and techniques, and to explore these with students confronting the challenge of developing an individual practice of technologically-embodied creativity.
In this incarnation, with funding from the European Commission (Connect 1999), a group of people from seven different countries have been brought together. Preliminary seminars took place in Italy and the Netherlands, and the main workshop took place during the Summer School in Dartington from 12 - 26 August 2000. The group occupied the Tweed Mill, situated on the estate of Dartington Hall next to the road to Totnes. Several concerts and presentations took place at this venue. A full report including audio and video material on CD's has been published, and available for download soon from the web site of the Meta-Orchestra.

have a look at the map, or look inside the Tweed Mill: