This is me performing at the 15th anniversary of FromScratch in Barcelona. https://toplap.cat/posts/from-scratch-15-years/
The concept is simple, Live coders perform for exactly 9 minutes, starting from a completely blank screen. Whatever they create in those 9 minutes regardless of the outcome earns them applause from the entire audience! This was my second FromScratch event, and I think it’s become my favorite format for livecoding gatherings for a lot of reasons.
You can prepare, but you’ll always end up improvising. In my first session, I planned my performance and rehearsed it a few times. However, when I stepped on stage, made a syntax error that prevented one of my loops from running. From that moment on, I started to improvise the rest of my set, experimenting with existing loops and making new sounds I had never rehearsed before.
The performance is much more creative and intimate! You see the artist start from the blank plate, you have access nor just to their creative process, but their mistakes, their wins, their techniques, It ties you to the performance a whole lot than just running a bunch of pre written code.
It’s the perfect experimental environment for learning. As someone eager to learn new livecoding languages or test out new tools, FromScratch is an ideal sandbox. After just two sessions, I’m already conceptualizing custom Strudel functions for frequently used sounds that could streamline my code! This hands on, pressure filled approach accelerates my understanding of the language far beyond traditional learning methods.
It democratizes live coding in a unique way. For beginners, this creates a zero-pressure environment! You’re guaranteed to finish with applause, no matter what happens. For expert livecoders? You have just 9 minutes starting from nothing. This format levels the playing field, making the community more inclusive and welcoming to newcomers.
The Barcelona scene is incredibly supportive. It was inspiring to see livecoding concerts happening regularly, often with government funding to promote experimental arts. The city has numerous venues that actively welcome these events, frequently offering their spaces for free!
This makes me reflect on the scene back home. We don’t have regular livecoding meetups in India due to challenges around finding spaces and recovering the costs. We’ve had semi regular gatherings and a few full-fledged algoraves, but nothing consistent like this. I feel like India really needs FromScratch! I hope to bring this practice back with me somehow.
There is this research paper that beautifully explores the possibilities and consequences of FromScratch, drawing from the experiences of livecoding communities in Mexico City and Barcelona: https://zenodo.org/records/3939206
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