Amalie Skram videregående skole · 21 November 13:00 - 15:30
Hydra for beginners is a workshop for kids on electronic art and in the frame of the program 2025-26 Creative Technologies for Curious Bodies in collaboration with Bergen Kommune, Vestland fylkeskommune and Stiftelsen Sophies Minde.
Duration: 3 hours.
The internet is full of ‘open-source’ free software that we can use to create exciting sound and visuals. This workshop for children aged will introduce Live coding to the kids. Live coding is an audio visual performance practice that revolves around the creation and modification of code and algorithms in real-time. The workshop is adapted science-art visual games learning tools, and visual experiences.
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.
Teacher: Lena Plotnikova (visual_punk_ltd) is a multidisciplinary artist working across visual art, contemporary photography, video, and live coding, blending glitch aesthetics, improvisation, and a raw, DIY sensibility. Active in the live coding communities of Madrid and Barcelona, she regularly performs at From Scratch and Algorave events, using errors, noise, and modest tools to highlight the immediacy of live creation. With a background that includes a B.A. in Photography, further studies in contemporary art and new media, and technical experience in JavaScript and full-stack development, her practice bridges artistic and technological experimentation. She has presented work at “Excesos Extrasensoriales” at Matadero Medios Sintientes Openlab#1, InSonora Festival, VIU Festival, and ICLC Algopoetica, and she also leads beginner Hydra workshops introducing artists to audiovisual improvisation.