Digital Participatory Theatre Seminar: AUDIENCE, AGENCY AND ACTION

There’s a desire now for things that we can watch online that are responsive and urgent. It’s great that there’s so much available on Netflix, but it takes much longer to produce something at that level than it does to put together a piece of fringe theatre.

Amy Clare Tasker, The Cockpit: https://howlround.com/devised-experiments-breaking-zoom

AUDIENCE, AGENCY AND ACTION: 2.00-4.30pm, Thursday 25th February

Is Digital Participatory Theatre rewriting the rules for audiences (and makers)?

Join us in conversation with Tassos Stevens (The Delegation, Coney), Debbie Bandara (New Worlds, Forest Tribe Theatre) and Abi Horsfield and Caitlin Strongarm (Above and Beyond, Collective Encounters).

Topics will include:

• Explore the capacity of digital software, hardware and platforms to create new experiences for audiences
• Examine relationships between form, intentionality of performance and audience agency
• Discuss accessibility and reach in the digital sphere

SPEAKERS

Tassos Stevens describes himself as a maker of play – theatre, games, and adventures. His work is work is varied and diverse and sees him adopt roles such as: director, interactive dramaturg, writer, game designer, experience and interaction designer, performer, mentor, teacher, facilitator, wrangler. He is the co-runner and director of Coney. 

Debbie Bandara is the founder of Forest Tribe. Her desire is to make risk -taking and innovative work that reaches new audiences who rarely experience arts and creativity. She has developed her repertoire and explores the power of language through movement. Her work delves into digital technology with her background in Artificial Intelligence. 

Caitlin Strongarm is an Australian performer, maker and facilitator based in the UK. Specialising in participatory arts experiences for all ages, Caitlin works with puppetry, clown, non-verbal performance, interactive installation, and digital and transmedia theatre to create community-informed collaborative works for cross-generational audiences.

FORMAT OF EVENT

Each member of the panel will present their project, the thinking behind them and their impact on audiences and you will have a chance to ask questions. Following this, we will host an open space for discussion and you will be able to move freely between Zoom rooms covering particular topics to share ideas, learning and best practice.

IN ADVANCE

To get the most out of these events we ask that you watch our Making Digital Participatory Theatre films in advance of the session. They can be found at: https://collective-encounters.org.uk/digital-participatory-theatre/

BOOKING

Events will take place on Zoom, please book on Eventbrite to receive the link.