25 Aug Theatre in the age of virtual reality | Cosmos Within Us
Traditional theatre has been making use of all sorts of effects ranging from lighting to sounds for years in its production of work. These effects are added on to make the experiences more immersive for its audiences. Technologies offer a different way in adding an extra aspect to these performances.
In recent years, the performance industry has been experimenting with immersive technologies including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (XR) technologies to establish new mediums that can transform art. Satore Studio is pushing the boundaries of technology in combination with the traditional to reach new dimensions.
Satore Studio’s joint production with Satore Tech and a_BAHN on Cosmos Within Us blurs the boundaries between VR and performance. The participants are invited into the mind of Aiken, a 60-year old man living with Alzheimer’s who is trying to hold onto the last of his childhood memories.
“We knew that we wanted the person in the experience-wearing the headset- to realise different sounds based on their position and receive the voice of the actor directly into their ears, while the rest of the sounds come from an environmental layer”
Tupac Martir, Cosmos Within Us Director
The production incorporates the use of voiceover artists, musicians and composers working within 5×5 space featuring 360-audio sound design. Cosmos Within Us is performed in front of an audience ranging from ten to 150 viewing the entire production, with the visuals driven entirely by one audience member wearing a headset.