Live Coding Visuals with Hydra

Hydra is a platform for live coding visuals, inspired by analogue modular synthesis. It is built in javascript by Olivia Jack https://ojack.xyz/ and be extended through the use of custom image textures, videos and web cam inputs.

This workshop, led by visual artist Antonio Roberts https://hellocatfood.com/ aka hellocatfood, will introduce you to the basics of Hydra, focusing on how image sources can be transformed, modulated, and composited by chaining together different functions.

By the end of the workshop you will learn the skills needed to perform using Hydra. If you've ever been curious about using code to make visuals and have aspirations to perform at live coding events and Algoraves then this workshop is perfect for you.

No coding experience is necessary.

Requirements

Participants need to:

• Bring your own laptop
• Install Firefox or Chrome browsers (not Safari)
• Bring a webcam (laptop webcam is fine)
• Charge your laptop in advance (plugs will be available)

If you do not have a laptop, please contact us in advance.

Bio

Antonio Roberts is an artist and curator based in Birmingham, UK, working primarily with video, code, and sound. He is critically engaged with the themes surrounding network culture and in his practice explores how technology continues to shape ideas of creation, ownership, and authorship. As a performing visual artist and musician he utilises live coding techniques to demystify technology and reveal its design decisions, limitations, and creative potential.

His work has been featured at galleries and festivals including, Furtherfield, Tate Britain, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago, Birmingham Open Media, Jerwood Arts, Whitney Museum of American Art, Green Man Festival, Barbican, Victoria and Albert Museum, Czurles Nelson Gallery, and New Art Exchange.

He is an Artist Advisor for Jerwood Arts and from 2014 - 2019 he was Curator at Vivid Projects where he produced the Black Hole Club artist development programme. In 2021 he co-founded the (Algo|Afro) Futures programme for early career Black artists to learn about live coding and creative coding.

As a live coder and performing artist he has performed at events and venues including SXSW, Barbican, Green Man Festival, Supersonic Festival, British Library, BlueDot Fetsival, Cafe Oto, ICLC, Corsica Studios and more.

Photo credits: Marcin Sz.