Bubble Jam

a cloud performance from age 12

By Daniel Wetzel

Who is on the other end of the internet?

How does an algorithm work?
Who, or what, is giving us directions?
And who, or what, is fake here?

Bubble Jam turns the internet into a chamber theatre.
Bubble Jam is a game platform. Its servers connect test players (12 and up) via smartphones that they are supplied with. They follow the chat of developers, who are located elsewhere, and respond to their directions and questions to create a perfect round of Bubble Jam: What should it be about? Nightmares? Friends that you’ve never seen? Photos that suddenly emerge? About what “type” you are? Or about that fact that life goes on?
Bubble Jam measures the responses and determines from them who should discuss what with whom. Questions are derived from poll results about how to proceed: Who is playing? And whom is being played with?

Vice video

Concept and Direction: Daniel Wetzel

Written by: Nikolas Hanakoulas, Giorgos Panagiotakis, Daniel Wetzel

Space: Dido Gkogkou

Light: Guy Stefanou

Software system design and implementation: Dimitris Trakas (ViRA)

Graphics: Dimitris Trakas, Renia Papathanasiou (ViRA)

Sound design: Lambros Pigounis

Assistant sound : Stefanos Siminelakis

Dramaturgy Script coding: Andreas G. Andreou, Kostis Kapidakis

Assitant director: Andreas G. Andreou

Logo: Dido Gkogkou

Project coordinator: Nikos Voyatzis

Assistant space design: Kristin Brechler

Assistant space: Iliana Kaladami

Assistant sound: Stefanos Siminelakis

Consultant-psychologist: Florentia Bakomitrou

Assistance German-language version: Zoï Wetzel

Production management: Juliane Männel, Yalena Kleidara

Technical director: Martin Schwemin

Special thanks to: Daphne Aidoni, Alexandra Bousiou, Sebastian Drews, Barbara Ehnes, Martha Foka, Dimitris Kalakidis, Marilena Katranidou, Eleni Kolovou, Arianna Kontopanou, Dimitris Lianos, Aimilia Panagiotaki, Victoria Panagiotaki, Jean Peters, Ilias Pantazis, Michalis Papantonopoulos, Natasha Tsintikidi, Mary Voyatzaki, Zoï Wetzel

Produced by: Onassis Cultural Centre and Rimini Apparat

Co-producer: The Cultural Schoolbag Norway / DKS Asker (Asker municipality) and internationales figuren.theater.festival Erlangen, Nuremberg, Fürth, Schwabach.

Using technology and elements that have been developed for the Rimini Protokoll Project “Dreaming Collectives. Tapping Sheep”, written by Daniel Wetzel and Ioanna Valsamidou (Staatstheater Dresden and others, 2017).

Bubble Jam Berlin

At Grips Theater with (alternating): Jens Mondalski, Nina Reithmeier, René Schubert

Operator: Mathias Oster/Erik Veenstra

Voice: Lilli Kuschel

Dramaturgy: Ute Volknant

Theater education / Collaboration text: Anna-Sophia Fritsche

Production management: Anna-Elena Machmer

Collarboration Production: Christina Tischler

Assitant director: Sophia Blume

Technical management: Jerry Geiger

Video clips: Lilli Kuschel

Assistance fabrication floorcloth: Carolin Jehn, Josefine Ketelsen, Henri Kruse, Afra Nobahar, Marius Zoschke