toplap

Toplap, often written TOPLAP, is an international network of artists, researchers, and educators devoted to live coding as a performative practice. The group emerged in the early 2000s from informal gatherings where musicians and artists shared code written in real time to generate music and visuals on stage. Central to TOPLAP is the idea of making the programming process visible, collaborative, and improvisational, with performances that emphasize code creation, modification, and exploration in front of an audience.

Activities within the TOPLAP ecosystem include live coding performances, jams, and conferences, as well as online forums, mailing lists, and demonstrations. Participants share code, techniques, and tooling, contributing to a culture of openness and reuse rather than proprietary platforms. The movement has helped to popularize live coding as a performing art and has influenced related fields such as generative art, digital music, and interactive media.

Toplap operates as a decentralized, volunteer-driven community rather than a centralized organization. Regional collectives, venues, and online platforms coordinate events, experiments, and knowledge exchange. Languages and environments frequently used in TOPLAP performances include SuperCollider, TidalCycles, and other live-coding toolkits.

See also: Live coding; Generative art; Algorithmic music.