The potential of "digital native" theatre is ripe for investigation, but is only being tapped by a few pioneering artists and companies, says Cathy Westbrook.
The web and social media have long been seen as a way to sell theatre tickets, and the use of webcasting, led by NT Live, is extending audience reach. But the potential of "digital native" theatre has been tapped only by a few pioneering artists and companies. It's something we at Futuredream are trying to address with the Theatre in the Cloud project, which asks theatre-makers to think about creating characters and stories specifically for social media and the web.
Liveness is the essence of theatre but liveness is also becoming blurred: a webcast watched with others; a broadcast event discussed on Twitter; instant messaging conversations over a period of time. Can the sophistication of our digital lives open up new possibilities for theatre-makers? Drama stems from the human need to tell stories as a way to understand ourselves. The internet is flooded with characters and viral stories made and presented by a huge variety of people, from teenagers to commercial marketers. Successful YouTubers such as PewDiePie and Jenna Marbles skilfully sustain and grow their huge fan followings – it doesn't happen by accident. They entertain a generation identified by their capacity for what has been summed up as "creation, curation, connection and community"... Keep reading on The Guardian
The web and social media have long been seen as a way to sell theatre tickets, and the use of webcasting, led by NT Live, is extending audience reach. But the potential of "digital native" theatre has been tapped only by a few pioneering artists and companies. It's something we at Futuredream are trying to address with the Theatre in the Cloud project, which asks theatre-makers to think about creating characters and stories specifically for social media and the web.
Liveness is the essence of theatre but liveness is also becoming blurred: a webcast watched with others; a broadcast event discussed on Twitter; instant messaging conversations over a period of time. Can the sophistication of our digital lives open up new possibilities for theatre-makers? Drama stems from the human need to tell stories as a way to understand ourselves. The internet is flooded with characters and viral stories made and presented by a huge variety of people, from teenagers to commercial marketers. Successful YouTubers such as PewDiePie and Jenna Marbles skilfully sustain and grow their huge fan followings – it doesn't happen by accident. They entertain a generation identified by their capacity for what has been summed up as "creation, curation, connection and community"... Keep reading on The Guardian