XR Network+ partners with the Royal Shakespeare Company to launch new R&D projects
XR Network+ has launched two new research and development (R&D) projects as part of an industry-led R&D challenge in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
The projects are bringing together experts from academia and the creative industries to explore new techniques that combine traditional stagecraft with virtual production technologies such as performance capture, game engine software and virtual reality.
The work will enable theatre practitioners to bring new hybrid live and virtual productions to audiences around the world.
A team from the Centre for Analysis Motion and Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA) at the University of Bath will explore the next generation of performance capture.
The project will combine high resolution motion tracking and explore machine learning solutions to prototype software and workflows that will accurately convey the subtleties of live performance in a digital space. Visit the XR Network+ project webpage to find out more about the project.
A team led by the Centre for Performance, Technology and Equity (PTEQ) at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, will build and test an advanced prototype for a virtual rehearsal room.
The new tool will enable actors, creatives, and technical teams to collaborate more deeply in the rehearsal process by working in 3D visual and audio digital twins of major theatre venues. The project also aims to lay the groundwork for delivering digital performances in real-time to live online audiences. Visit the XR Network+ project webpage to find out more about the project.
Sarah Ellis, Director of Creative Innovation at the RSC comments, “We’re excited to collaborate with project teams at CAMERA and PTEQ to harness the power of virtual production technologies to pioneer new tools and workflows for theatre-makers, and novel experiences for diverse audience communities.”
Findings from both projects will feed into research taking place as part of XR Network+, a five-year project led by the University of York that is setting a UK research agenda for virtual production.
Photo by Peter Cook © The RSC. Interior photo of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre auditorium, taken with actors and audience at Builder’s Opening Night.
Published on 5 February 2025
Filed under: Research, XR Network+