curious directive to open 'laboratory' for digital theatremaking with DCMS funding

Norwich-based theatre company curious directive is to open a ’laboratory’ that creatives and the public can use to experiment with digital theatremaking.

The space has been created using funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 

The company (which styles its name in lower case) is describing the space, called the Laboratory, as a "digital apparel XR theatremaking space", using the term ’apparel’ because most of the tech used will be wearable by either artists or audience members.

It will be used to explore digital theatremaking technologies including those related to extended reality – an umbrella term used to describe technologies that merge digital worlds with reality – and motion-capture.

DCMS has provided £25,000 towards the project from its Create Growth Fund, which aims to help creative businesses explore new ways to innovate. 

Launching in autumn, the Laboratory will be open to the public to experiment with new technologies in immersive performance-making.

curious directive will invite local theatremakers and charitable organisations to use the space to develop skills in digital content creation. It has also scheduled a series of "experiments" to explore new approaches to live storytelling.

Artistic director and chief executive Jack Lowe said: "Since 2008 we have, in our own understated way, been committed to searching out the future of theatre-storytelling. 

"Be it Frogman (with live performance and VR) or Gastronomic (which used AR in a live theatre setting) we’ve consistently performed a sort of midwifery for digital technology in the ensemble devising theatremaking process."

He added: "Despite this significant heritage, this is our first mainstream grant to support our exploration of digital technology and, like everything in our analogue making space in Norwich, the funds will also be used to secure resource, which will be shared with other artists."