A pioneering “virtual stage” launched by Birmingham Royal Ballet will use immersive technology to help neurodivergent audiences access their shows for the first time.
The project uses virtual and augmented reality to create performances and immersive experiences that can be seen by audiences who may otherwise be unable to go to the theatre.
“There are lots of people who can’t attend live theatre, and can’t come and watch us – not just neurodivergent people, but also elderly people or young children,” said Tom Rogers, a creative digital producer at BRB.
“We want to bring what we do to them, and this technology is a really powerful tool for engagement. There’s a genuine level of fear with some of this technology that we’re all going to disappear behind a headset and never talk to each other. That isn’t true – we will never replace live theatre and we will never try to do that. But this offers a completely different sensory experience.”
The new projects, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, include NutcrackAR, an augmented reality recreation of the elaborate set for the Nutcracker in which viewers can walk around and “pick up” objects.
On the run-up to opening night in November, different AR objects will be placed in a trail around Birmingham city centre. It will be possible to view the digital objects against a background of the physical environment by using a smart device such as a phone or tablet.
A Swan Lake VR experience, created in collaboration with Canon, will tour schools across the West Midlands, placing audiences on stage with dancers and behind the scenes in dressing rooms.
A VR documentary about the Nutcracker, created by the developer RiVR, will also be shown in specialist schools and distributed through a network of neurodiversity programmes, while Freefall, the ballet’s company of dancers with learning disabilities, has also created its own VR experience.
Carlos Acosta, the ballet’s director, said he was excited to become “one of the first ballet companies in the world to embrace immersive technology”.
“I am particularly excited about the possibilities this work has for reaching younger and new audiences across the globe, bringing them up close to classical ballet in a way that, until recently, has not been possible,” he said.
Clive Booth, a photographer and film-maker who created the Swan Lake VR experience, said the goal was not only to bring live theatre to neurodivergent people who otherwise could not access it, but to make the experience as authentic as possible.
“When you see ballet live, one of the things that always surprises people is how much you can hear footfall on stage,” he said. “We have recreated that with this. You can see the sweat on people’s faces, hear their breath, you can even hear the tutus rustling. It’s a visceral experience.”
Booth acknowledged that there are still logistical challenges in terms of widespread access to the headset technology needed to view the content, but believed as it becomes more commonplace the possibilities will increase.
“We could go on tour and visit elderly people’s homes, hospitals, schools. There’s definitely a future for this but it’s not about trying to replace what already exists. You wouldn’t record a whole performance of the Nutcracker and put it in VR. You have to find different ways of telling stories,” he said.
