We were thrilled to take part in the Future Art and Culture programme at the 2019 South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. Designed to showcase work that is pushing the boundaries between art and technology, the festival included digital installations, virtual and mixed reality experiences, and a range of discussion panels and workshops.

We teamed up with Imaginarium Studios and Magic Leap to present a 'tabletop theatre' performance of the Seven Ages of Man speech from As You Like It. Visible through a special headset, the viewer sees a foot-high actor give the speech about the stages of life as a digital tree blooms and fades in the background. We used volumetric capture to make the piece, with the actor recorded from various angles to create a fully realised 3D performance.

Our Director of Digital Development, Sarah Ellis, was our representative at the festival, spreading the word about our digital collaborations and the work we’re doing to explore new ways to present and experience theatre. Sarah was on a panel discussing how failure is a key part of innovation, and spoke at an event alongside some of the UK’s top immersive content creators, influencers, and investors.