is the knowledge-sharing platform for the 

. Explore the experiments and bold ideas behind the Academy's Fellowship programme, delve into the science behind the projects of our HIDA researchers, and explore the results of international collaborations.

is a platform for discovery and documentation. Each 

showcases a unique artistic-technological research project, with topics as diverse as the use of AI in theatrical design, choreography for and with robotics, and the possibilities for theatre in virtual spaces. Each 

 offers the chance to learn more about the members of our artistic research network. By pooling our knowledge in such a way, creative research into theatre, performance and digital technologies can become more accessible, sustainable, and artistically innovative.

Funded by the Federal Cultural Foundation, the Academy will award a total of 54 fellowships between 2019 and 2022, each lasting for five months. The 

 are designed for people interested in artistic-technical research which explores the possibilities for digital narratives in theatrical spaces, as well as their practical implementation. Fellows have researched a variety of digital methods (motion capture, coding, XR, VR, AR, sensor technologies, robotics, and more) across artistic fields including opera, dance, orchestra and drama. 

Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy

(HIDA), the Academy for Theatre and Digitality has offered joint research fellowships at the interface of digital art and cutting edge scientific research since 2021. The HIDA fellowships are kindly supported by the 

PlayOn! New Storytelling With Immersive Technologies

 is a larger scale cooperation project, funded by Creative Europe, designed to understand, learn, test and apply immersive technology to theatre, in order to shift classical storytelling to interactive narrative formats.

Artificial Intelligence

VR (Virtual Reality)

Interactive

Sound Design

Projection/Mapping

3D Printing

XR (Extended Reality)

AV (Audiovisual Design)

Theater Dortmund
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Management Team:

Executive Director
Tobias Ehinger

Administrative Director
Martin Lizan

Director of the Opera
Heribert Germeshausen

Director of the Ballet
Xin Peng Wang

General Music Director
Gabriel Feltz

Artistic Director of the Schauspiel
Julia Wissert

Director of the Children's and Youth Theater
Andreas Gruhn

Director of the Academy for Theatre and Digitality
Marcus Lobbes

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Fellowship

HIDA

PlayOn!

discover cutting-edge digital research in theatre and performance 
meet our research fellows and collaborators in the 

Portal: Academy for Theatre and Digitality

Vat Teater

Mihkel Seeder

Story- or theme-wise we wanted to see, if we could push people with just a short period of time into more radical thinking. It seems, we were too successful in that (as a final test we gave the audience the chance to vote off their extremist captain – in all of 18 shows it never happened, that all four capsules voted off their leaders (a couple of times we got rid of three).

What technology was the focus of the work, and why?

Algorithms and how they can impact the world, including how they can lead to extremes (similar to, for example, YouTube algorithms offering more and more extreme political content, see 

) and how when we are very reliant on decisions from AI (even though our project wasn’t AI by definition), extreme groups can form. 

For audio we were experimenting with different audio equipment to have parallel storylines happening with discrete audio, but also having the opportunity for the groups to interact with each other when necessary.

Testing out when is technology useful in theatrical story telling and when it becomes a distraction, is always an interesting subject. In this project we tried to make technology as „invisible“ as possible.

In audio we were hoping to get as far as possible in creating 4 distinct worlds that ran in parallel. Switching from one group to another would leave the listener in the same spot in the story, but convey a different auditory environment.

How did the collaborators work together on this project?


We had a tight core team, consisting of director, dramaturg, composer and video-artist and quite soon the developer also joined the group. When we discussed the narrative concept, we immediately talked about all the technical aspects. We always tried to look at the concept as a whole picture. This probably helped us to avoid quite many errors, but, yeah, still many-many new problems popped up, when the real rehearsals started.

We explored different technologies connected to motion tracking and consulted experts on the subject. It was also invaluable to present our project to another group and have them give feedback/questions/concerns as an outside perspective.

The audience tests, especially the very early ones with students, were super useful – live coding and fixing bugs in the local network, so everyone just received the fix immediately. We should have organised more of these. We did have a few tries where the web app completely crashed and the actors continued analogue – it sucked, but it was good to have the experience. Of course, we also got to fix a bug thanks to that.

Firstly the idea, how to synchronise the activities in four capsules “jumped” in our heads quite late in the rehearsal process (probably already while the audience test were going on) – suddenly we realised, that the only possibility is, that we set exact times for every phase and put the timer in the pads of the captains, so they always see, how much time is left.

Secondly we planned to have feedback round immediately after the show in every audience test, but not in the official shows. On the day of the premiere we suddenly realised that the feedback had turned into an organic and logical part of the show and we couldn´t skip it. So we didn´t call it a feedback round any more, but the finale of the show.

Did you use existing software and/or applications?


Video: Zoom on 4 separate laptops and large TV screens for video calls between the capsules.

Audio: we used Ableton Live, since it offers a lot of flexibility in terms of controlling different audio streams. We also used silent disco headphones and a separate audio guide system to achieve 4 separate channels for the audience.

Did any of your questions or goals change?


At first audience participation was a bigger goal throughout the play, but we soon decided to leave more control in the hands of the actor in the group or the whole show would lose control (especially with the timers running etc.).

What were the key milestones in the development of the production?


Finishing certain stages of the specific web app, e.g. when the Humanity Shop was finished or when the first version of the Quiz games were finished;

Audience tests – each one was a milestone to find the proper balance and also shortcomings in the technology used.

First milestone was 9 months before the premiere, when we realised that we can´t continue with the motion-tracking technology and suddenly many other possibilities were on the table.

Second milestone was 6 months before the premiere, when we met the sociologist Andero Uusberg, who gave positive feedback to our division-into-four-groups-system and also suggested that we should create our own test group, who´s results could be useful basis for the personality test. In the end almost 100 volunteers answered our questionnaire and helped us to perfect the sorting system.

Third milestone was three months before the premiere, when we finally decided to use four green houses as the capsules. After that everything else started getting clearer on a daily basis.

We got some data and human experiment results. How fun! We are in the process of analysing the data, which is going to offer a base for writing more academically about the production–as the storyline changed for each evening, we can analyse patterns and more common answers, etc.

We also now have a web framework for creating more of these types of projects.

We hoped to create a show in which the audience feels individually tied to the outcome of the show. We had a goal of giving the members a series of decisions and their movement during the play would dictate the outcome. In the end we had to change the process of audience participation, but we still managed to give several discrete experiences for the audience members and made them consider the choices they are making.

In what ways was the production a success?


In addition to the web app, the fact that we incorporated so many complex technological solutions in one single production is really impressive (video calls, synced headsets).

The audience experienced a novel kind of theater and became invested in the success of their assigned group.

What elements of the final production would you change?


The play definitely has a lot of potential to grow larger and have more branching outcomes.

With this one we tried out an extremely compact version of this “game” (1 hour in capsule, 2 hours altogether), but it would be quite a different thing, if this experiment would last 4 hours (probably the audience will get much more freedom etc.).

What advice would you give to artists taking a similar approach?


Get outside help as soon as you get stuck. We (I) really solved the scalability issue at the last minute.

Creating a web app is very annoying when you have to take into account older phones – we did have spare ones, but it didn’t help that much, and we still encountered issues. If financially feasible, having the same device for everyone in the audience is a good plan and will relieve a lot of stress. This goes without saying for native (non-web browser) apps.

Workshop different paths the story could take. The production will definitely take a lot more time than a normal play would, so it would be best to map out the story paths as early as possible. Map out important story beats – times where the different parallel storylines converge and change the goals/situation of all groups.

Is the coding for this project open source? What language was used, what is the function of this code, and where can we find it?


I haven’t included a licence, but I can – the architecture was created in a “plug-and-play” way*. It was my Bachelor’s project, so it actually has architecture drawings etc as well, which I can include if we ever get to writing wiki/documentation.

*Well, it does require coding if you would wish to change the logic. But scanning QR codes and making quizzes with phases that can be done in groups – 100% reusable.

Building new games on top of the existing audience logic is also feasible.

Team

Helen Rekkor

Vivaarium is a shot at survival. It’s hope for a lengthy, successful symbiosis on this beautiful blue planet. Vivaarium is a high-tech capsule, where people can lock themselves up for a period of time, so that our planet could heal itself from all the man-made harm. 23 years in a capsule for survival of our planet – not bad deal or what? 

This production combines elements of technological and traveling theater. The journey gives the audience a chance to make decisions and re-evaluate their points of view. The central theme then becomes: how do we notice the information bubble around us and how do we make sure that it doesn’t become too restrictive for us? 

How does it work: audience members make different test and are divided into four groups based of the results. Every group is gathered into a capsule, where they should spend the next 23 years, but in reality it takes a lot less time for their good faithed captain to turn into a complete tyrant. How bad does it have to get, that you will want to abandon your own capsule and a group of people most similar to you? 
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A VAT Teater production as part of the Creative Europe project PlayOn! in collaboration with Teatro O Bando

Vivaarium

VAT Teater

How to create a collective artwork about urban landscape in a theatre performance setting?

The audience was given the chance to create the content of the production through interaction with a web application on their portable smart devices.

As a result of the interactions the was compiled into a short movie that the audience saw in the second half, seeing the art they made together and themselves as part of the production.

The web application had tasks and videos in order to make it possible for the audience to create the content of the production

What does a technology that is participatory, playful, and seamlessly integrated into the narrative look like?

How did the collaborators work together on this project?

All four creative members (Francesco Rosso, Sander Poldsaar, Mihkel Seeder, Helena Vainmaa) worked close together throughout the entire development of the production (2 years).

Collaborators and their specific activities are as follows:

- Poldsaar, Seeder, Vainmaa, Rosso - concept and character development

- Poldsaar, Vainmaa - web app development and testing

- Seeder and VAT theatre support staff - coordination of on-location support

In the two months leading up to the premiere we had 10 audience tests, gradually improving the software and the script every time.

- first tests with director and developer,

- smaller tests with the entire team (dev, dir, actors, dramaturg)

- 4 separate smaller tests with 10 participants each

- 4 separate bigger tests with 20 participants each

- full dress rehearsal one week before the premiere

- the pre-premiere was also considered a test

Did you use existing software and/or applications?

The web application was developed exclusively for the production by Helena Vainmaa. Video art was composited using industry standard video editing software.

Did any of your questions or goals change?

Several times. At first the project was envisioned more like an archeological experiment where the research subject wereabandoned wastelands. The central object of the performance would have been an immersive art installation where the audience could traverse freely. At some point it was clear that the actors of VAT theatre must join our team which led us to redesign the experience into a more coherent and linear stage production. Which in turn transformed the final art experience into a documentary short film.

What were the key milestones in the development of the production?

1. Getting the 4 co-authors acquainted with the urban wastelands of Tallinn.

2. Developing the characters that would effectively guide the theatre audience through the journey.

3. Choosing the right locations for the story to unfold, reaching agreements and getting permits for the areas.

4. First physical test in the production environment as proof of concept.

6. Finalizing the dramaturgy for acts I and II.

8. Full dress rehearsal a week before the premiere for final debugging of software.

The final outcome turned out to be quite an exceptional theatre production. The initial fear was that participating in a collective art process would be a hard sell for introverted theatre audience. It was also almost impossible to find the correct target audience as the experience itself was designed inclusively for anyone. Partly out of that fear, the collective decided to strip down the abstract and drift towards more traditional participatory form.

In what ways was the production a success?

The production managed to offer a positive and thoughtful experience to all audiences ranging from children to seasoned theatre professionals. According to feedback it managed to raise thoughts and emotions regarding in-between areas, the hidden secrets in almost all of the participants.

What elements of the final production would you change?

As our audience included many people not acquainted to theatre it became clear that for some the theatrical approach to guiding them through the acts was distracting. Many felt that they would have wanted more control and freedom of pacing to traverse the areas on their own terms. 

Therefore more emphasis should have been made to add functionality to the app in order to give a wider opportunity to fulfil the tasks given on the locations.

What advice would you give to artists taking a similar approach?

If you use immersive or inclusive tech in your productions and give a device to your audience make it so that it is possible to experience the play fully independently of actors or stage or location. If the audience is given an opportunity to play around with their smart phones during play then why not include the option to walk away and experience some parts of the production totally independently.

Is the coding for this project open source? What language was used, what is the function of this code, and where can we find it?

Aare Toikka

Sander Põldsaar

No, Tallinn is not actually going anywhere. It’s a functional, dazzling and buzzing city. Tallinn grows, rises and expands even as you’re reading this. And yet we find black holes within Tallinn – backyards and dark corners, overgrown pathways and fields that are losing their meaning in our ultra-pricey and über-efficient city. These blurry, undefined places are the ones with the most interesting stories to tell and the most potential… 

Our main character leads a group on an expedition to show them their very own, personal Tallinn. They also want to share their plan with the group. It’s a grand, important plan (maybe even revolutionary!) but they need the help of the group to make it a reality. This is how the group becomes a part of the whole, capturing events, the journey and themselves, if they so wish. From these clips, a short film will be made by our algorithm, which will be screened during the second act of the story at Sakala 3 Teatrimaja. 
___________________________________________________________
A VAT Teater production as part of the Creative Europe project PlayOn!

RESEARCH PLATFORM

Academy for Theatre and Digitality

Mihkel Seeder

Dramaturg, Vat Theatre

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