The lnstitute of Creative Technologies is part of
a unique team of creative industry specialists
who are working together to discover the next
stage of immersive performance experiences
for audiences around the world. DMU is one
of 15 specialist organisations taking part in
the Innovate UK project, which is being led
by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
and also includes Epic Games, i2 Media
Research Limited, Intel, Magic Leap, Manchester
International Festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast,
Nesta, Phi Centre, Philharmonia Orchestra,
Punchdrunk, University of Portsmouth and
The Space.
The £16 million investment is a key element of
the Audience of the Future programme, part of
the government Industrial Strategy Challenge
Fund, which is delivered by UK Research
and Innovation and was announced by the
government in March 2018 in the Creative
Industries Sector Deal. The consortium will
use their knowledge and expertise in theatre
and performance, the music industry, video
production, gaming and the research sector
to shape how audiences will experience live
performance in the future.
A transdisciplinary team of researchers from the
Institute of Creative Technologies are working
across digital performance, game development,
computer visualisation and creative AI, to
explore how technologies such as augmented
reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality
(MR) can be used in both the production
and reception of live performances. This
research is defining new audience experiences,
implementing new technologies, exploring
new commercial revenues and supporting
the UK’s growth in creative content, products
and services. This significant collaboration will
uncover the potential of real-time immersive
performance connected across multiple
platforms, creating opportunities for the UK
cultural sector to change the way audiences
experience live performance. Audiences will
no longer be bound by traditional performance
locations, but by using devices such as mobile
phones, Extended Reality (XR) headsets
and streaming into the home, audiences
will experience live performance like never
before. This has become especially relevant in
supporting organisation