Bridging the gaps : performance, time and space

Traditional Chinese opera is an immersive experience that transports the audience to an alternative time and space. Alongside other forms of performance and theatre, traditional Chinese opera is the nearest established art form to emerging mixed reality experiences and, as such, is a natural platform for presenting immersive narratives. How can emerging technology (VR/AR/MR/XR) be used in China to enhance local culture and creativity? Is it possible to integrate urban and rural aspects and promote traditional Chinese art forms? In order to attract new audiences there are many gaps to bridge beyond pure location such as age, education and culture. What are the potential challenges and opportunities in evolving UK-China creative clusters through research-industry collaboration to deliver mixed reality projects? How can the UK-China teams collaborate internally and internationally to develop creative immersive output?

To offer some answers to these questions, I will share my insights as a participant in the AHRC funded project workshop ​‘UK-China Collaborations in the Creative Industries’, ‘Bridging the Gaps’ workshops (Shanghai & Leeds, 2019) and my experience as creative lead on numerous immersive technology projects. Science fiction narratives of inter-dimensional experiences serve as a primer for the possibilities of mixed reality technology, while also appealing to the young and old, of varying education and culture, in urban and rural locations. I will highlight specific visionary UK-China sci-fi stories and explore how these examples of literature — which ‘bridge the gaps’ of time and space — serve as inspiration for our research and creative practice.