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<p>Twenty years ago today, the cyberformance platform UpStage
was officially launched in Wellington, Aotearoa/NZ, and
online. Join us today in UpStage to celebrate this auspicious
artistic anniversary!</p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>20:00 Aotearoa/NZ time (find your local time here: <a
href="http://tinyurl.com/UpStage20-NZ" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://tinyurl.com/UpStage20-NZ</a>)</p>
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</ul>
<p> </p>
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<p>and/or</p>
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<p> </p>
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<li>
<p>20:00 central European time (find your local time here: <a
href="http://tinyurl.com/UpStage20-CET" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://tinyurl.com/UpStage20-CET</a>)</p>
</li>
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<p> </p>
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<p>Click here to enter the stage: <a
href="https://upstage.live/20birthday"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">https://upstage.live/20birthday</a></p>
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<p>As well as continuously providing an accessible, artist-led
venue for cyberformance for twenty years, UpStage has produced
<a href="https://upstage.org.nz/?page_id=1958"
moz-do-not-send="true">six online festivals</a> (2007-2012),
co-organised the 2012 <a href="https://www.cyposium.net/"
moz-do-not-send="true">CyPosium</a> - an online symposium
about cyberformance - and initiated many international
artistic collaborations including the current <a
href="https://mobilise-demobilise.eu/"
moz-do-not-send="true">Mobilise/Demobilise</a> project which
enabled the complete rebuild of the UpStage software in 2021. </p>
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<p>UpStage has a long and valuable active involvement within
global digital arts and technology networks and communities.
As an open source software project, UpStage has nurtured fun
and fruitful ongoing collaboration between artists and
developers, and encouraged digital artists to think critically
about the tools we used and participate in software design and
development. </p>
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<p>Now in its 20th year, UpStage continues to evolve with the
times and the technology while maintaining its ethos of
accessibility, artistic experimentation and playful
persistence.</p>
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<p>We acknowledge UpStage's originators, the globally
dispersersed cyberformance troupe <a
href="http://www.avatarbodycollision.org/"
moz-do-not-send="true">Avatar Body <em>Collision</em></a>
(Karla Ptacek, Leena Saarinen, Vicki Smith and Helen Varley
Jamieson); the original developer, Douglas Bagnall; and
Creative New Zealand and the NZ Ministry of Research, Science
and Technology, who provided the initial funding for UpStage.</p>
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<p>And we send a massive thank you to the global UpStage
community - all of the artists, developers, researchers,
funders, audiences, colleagues and conspirators who have
cheered on and contributed to UpStage over the last two
decades, in ways big and small; UpStage would not still be
here without you!</p>
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<p>If you would like to give UpStage a birthday present,
donations are always welcome! <a
href="https://upstage.org.nz/?page_id=278" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://upstage.org.nz/?page_id=278</a></p>
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<p>Join us today to celebrate 20 years of playful persistence!</p>
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<p>Helen & Vicki<br>
UpStage PerSisters<br>
<a href="https://upstage.org.nz" target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" moz-do-not-send="true">https://upstage.org.nz<br>
https://upstage.live</a></p>
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<div><img class="avatar flex-shrink-0 mb-3 mr-3 mb-md-0 mr-md-4"
src="https://docs.upstage.live/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo-upstage-official-300px.png"
alt="@upstage-org" moz-do-not-send="true" width="100"></div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p>helen varley jamieson<br>
</p>
<p> <a href="mailto:helen@creative-catalyst.com"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">helen@creative-catalyst.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.creative-catalyst.com"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.creative-catalyst.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.upstage.org.nz"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.upstage.org.nz</a><br>
<a href="https://mobilise-demobilise.eu/"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" moz-do-not-send="true">https://mobilise-demobilise.eu</a></p>
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