Creating common ground: dialogues between performance and digital technologies

This article addresses the challenge of collaborative research between performance and digital technologies, seeking a model by which synthesis between the two aspects can be achieved. It draws upon the authors? experiences of projects where creative laboratory situations were used to support open-ended processes of exploration. The Performance Robotics project demonstrates how a cycle of iterative knowledge exchange was achieved through an embodiment exercise that developed unexpectedly. The Interactive Performance Telematics Project saw technical operators performing duets with dancers via animated sprites. Playful interaction in these projects enabled artists and technologists to find common ground on which to establish a rich dialogue for further research.