Do not judge people at algoraves.
I’ve seen it happen more in my communities lately. People complaining/lamenting about people not dancing, judging people for not dancing. But often I find it’s the people who don’t dance themselves who mention it the most. If you want people to dance, then DANCE.
I also see people judging people for filming things on their phone. I hate people judging on this. It reaks of snobbery. You’re not “enlightened” for not filming with your phone, your [just] different, and difference is OKAY. Let people film in peace! Let them record this moment! How dare you try to take that away from them? How dare you pressure people into thinking that they’re imposters if they pull out their phone? You know where you are, right? You’re at a live art event centered around SCREENS.
I see judgement about MCs and other performers who end up in the spotlight. And how dare you make sweeping judgements about an entire form of performance!?! The amazing part of collaboration is that you can lean on everyone’s strengths and preferences. Some people prefer to be more in the background. Some people thrive at the front. By working together, we can make MAGIC.
I also see people placing too much status on performers compared to the rest of the room. Performing at an algorave does not make you a genius. Performing at an algorave does not make you a hero. At least, not any more than being in the crowd makes you! Remove this bullshit manufactured divide between people and people. We are here to jam / rave together whether we’re plugged in or not. Plugged in or not, we all contribute to an algorave: On the floor, on the door, making ribbons from fabric and cables, turning it off and on, on and off, bringing ENERGY.
By raising perceptions of how tricky it is to perform you raise the floor of what’s considered necessary / expected. Don’t gatekeep by making performers seem like an exclusive club. We can all perform. You don’t need to be smart. You don’t need to know code. You don’t need to know music. You don’t need to know anything. In fact you must not know anything. You must forget everything you know