stories from the makers: creating pervasive performance

Mari Thynne PhD Candidate – HighWire DTC E: m.thynne@lancaster.ac.uk

Stories from the Makers:Creating immersive performance

Contents1. insights into recent study of 11 immersive theatre

and pervasive media performance practitioners2. share experiences of some of the theatre makers

who integrate digital technology and live performance through a scholarly ‘sense-making’ lens

3. question time 4. forum discussion on the main findings

Topic:what is immersive/pervasive/interactive performance?

Complex and individual No clear definition to date

Research DesignTheoretical consideration1. Sensemaking properties (Weick 1995, 2001, 2005)

Identity; Retrospection; enacting environments; Social; Ongoing; Cues, Plausibility2. Theatricality within Design Thinking (Pine and Gilmore 1999)

‘we do not mean to present the work of design as theatre, it is not a metaphor but a model, a focus on the dramatic nature of design’ (pg:157)

Triangulation of data collection:• Interviews, face to face and via Skype – same 15 set questions• Desk research – online data• Reflections of researcher

Analysis• Interviews made into stage scripts to distance from researcher perspective - developing

‘theatricality’ notion of Pine and Gilmore • Sensemaking sought in scripts, online text and researcher reflections – including verbs, actions,

evidence of making of sense

Data Set

Horses

Theatre allegory interweaves verbatim study responses into short seven-part series: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCExwt6EIz2DvSvQiRw6EKag/videos

The aim: communicate final perceptions of the researcher in a distinct subjective and surreal art form.

Main Findings 1. Innovation developing out of tensions - interdisciplinary

production team from different creative backgrounds

2. A growing number of hybrid identities – production team confirmed many have second jobs i.e. in advertising, design or academia

3. Funding and budgeting - compromise used owing to financial restrictions even though ‘aesthetic’ vital to create a ‘real’ experience for audience

• Limitations of the study Longitude study and/or more practitioners offer a stronger caseAlternatively, a deeper study i.e. ethnography or in-depth case study

• Recommendations for further study There is little theoretical work on this emerging genre. My PhD aims to explore further the three main findings via an exploratory case-study of before, during and after, production of The Raucous Collective’s ‘The Stick House’ to answer the research question:

‘How, and to what extent, do identity power and values effect the immersive theatre production process?

Finding 3: Funding and Budgeting

New economic models needed?

What are your thoughts?

Forum discussion:

Sharon Clark - The Raucous CollectiveRik Lander - Freelance Writer & Creative DirectorRosie Poebright - Splash & RippleMari Thynne - PhD Researcher & Freelance

Experimental Theatre Maker

Mari Thynne E: m.thynne@lancaster.ac.uk