Liveness for Contemporary Audiences: Developing online-togetherness in metaverse-theatre audiences

Abstract

Liveness for Contemporary Audiences: Developing Online-Togetherness in Metaverse Theatre Audiences is a research project owned and carried out by Copper Candle. The project is funded by Innovate UK as part of the Audiences of the Future Round 2 – Design Foundations Fund. Our activities have focused on the experience of making digital/virtual theatre as creative producers of the work. Within this research we are asking, both of ourselves and of the practice, “what do contemporary audiences want?” Or more specifically “what do contemporary audiences want from live digital/virtual theatre?” And where can we look for insight? For us, this is the games industry. Our working assumption is that audiences do want to experience live virtual events, based upon a clear uptake on this offering within the arena of gaming.