The Royal Shakespeare Company will join a team of UK creative industry specialists to discover the next stage of immersive performance experiences.
The £16 million investment is part of the Audience of the Future programme, which is part of the government Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
15 specialist organisations and top British universities will use their knowledge and expertise to shape how audiences will experience live performance in the future.
In the first year, research and development will produce an immersive live performance for multiple platforms in 2020.
The consortium will use technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).
The Consortium will be led by the Royal Shakespeare Company and includes De Montfort University, Epic Games, Magic Leap, and Philharmonia Orchestra – among others.
“The best brains in the creative industries”
RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran said: “Some of the best brains in the creative industries and research sector will work together in this unique collaboration looking at the future potential of live performance and what that means for the industry, the creative sector and audiences around the world.
“Every partner has something different to offer through their work with immersive technologies and live performance, and the potential to deliver an experience for audiences that has never seen before is hugely exciting.”
As reported in Computer weekly, digital minister Margot James said: “Imagine being inside the world of a Shakespeare play, or in a video game as professional players battle it out for millions of dollars, or immersed in a national museum, solving a detective narrative involving dinosaurs and robots with fellow virtual museum-goers.”
Last week, the Audience of the Future initiative announced a £4 million grant for seven leading British organisations from the fields of culture, entertainment and education to reimagine the museum visits of the future.
Storytelling and virtual technology will create experiences that bring exhibits to life, as part of the consortium’s work.
Images courtesy RSC
