The Value of Art -- Phase 1

Consists of entrance and initial selection of team members.

Introduction. At the entrance station, people select themselves into audience or teams. On selection to teams, they are then passed through a covered passage and directly onto the stage. From there, they are auctioned to each team.

1.1 Entrance

1. The Entrance Station consists of:
   • One person, being the Reception Committee.
   • Entrance into the audience area.
   • Entrance to a covered passage directly onto the stage. Inside the passage way it is not possible to see what is happening further forward.
   • Many sets of token-money, one per expected player.
2. On entrance, Reception Committee asks each participant: "Player or Audience?"
3. Choice of "Player or Audience" may be dependent on entrance price.
4. Audience are given one package of audience materials:
   • 10 value tokens,
   • a 1 meter high thumb.
   directed by hand straight into the audience area.
5. Each Player is given:
   • 20 value tokens,
   • A player pack: 10 pickup sticks, sellotape and bright lipstick. ... A variety of pointless things that they are told will be important during the game...
   • One token indicating their Role: Collector, Artist, Critic, etc... Preferably affixed quasi-painfully to slow down trading.
   • Each Role Token should apparently be chosen on a semi-random basis.
   • However, the roles are carefully managed in order to maintain a balance.
6. On selection of Player,
   • they are given their player pack as above.
   • Put on headphones playing loud grunge, Guns 'n Roses, blindfolds, all well-affixed.
   • personally escorted down to the pre-stage station. Whips may be employed.

1.2 Pre-stage

1. The Pre-stage Station consists of:
   • One person.
   • Entrance to the stage, covered.
   • Reached by the covered passage from the Entrance.
2. Station Operator coordinates with Stage Operator (Auctioneer) and feeds the Players in one by one.
3. On the Auctioneer's signal, Station Operator removes Headphones and blindfolds, from the Player at the head of the Queue, and feeds the Player onto the stage.
4. Headphones + blindfold are recovered and sent back to Entrance Station.

1.3 Auction

1. The Auction Station (Stage) consists of:
   • One person, Auctioneer (is MC in other Phases).
   • One entrance onto the stage, from pre-Stage Station.
   • Spot lights, drums, trumpets.
   • PA / mike for auctioneer.
2. On stage, the Auctioneer launches into the auction of the person. Loud, raucous, disrespecful.
3. Each team should bid for the best person, and the best value. "This is a team game!"
4. Each team bids. "You must build your team!"
5. Pricing and payment is in value tokens.
6. All Players must be sold, or sacrificed!
7. Auctioneer may "intervene" by stuffing money tokens or mystery token cards in cleavage or trousers of Player.
8. On sale, the Player is handed a Team Jersey.
9. And directed to the team area.
10. If possible, the mystery tokens and money are stolen back.

1.4 Next Phase

There is no necessary signal for the roll-on to the next phase. It could be concurrent with auctioning new meat artists, or there could be a closing auction before the move to the next phase of game play.

In general, teams should be set up with most but not all roles.