We started (again)! 🪴

14.04.2023 | Day 1 | Production Exercise 2

In our Production Exercise 2, we, the students of Digital Narratives at the ifs Köln have started a collaboration with Freies Werkstatt Theater (FWT).

We are going to deliver a WebXR prototype to be served as a digital extension of one of the theatre’s current plays called “Revolt. She said. Revolt again.” It is a play by Alice Birch and is directed by Sophie Killer & Thalia Killer. The play aims to bring awareness about patriarchal oppression, and other gender hurdles.

On April 14th, in the briefing session with FWT, we and our mentors had the opportunity to meet GUIDO RADEMACHERS, theatre manager, LENA BROKINKEL, audience developer, and CAROLINE BRÜNEN who is responsible for the digital communication. We learned about their roles and tasks in FWT and also heard their views and expectations about the WebXR prototype that we are going to make for the aforementioned play.

For me personally, getting to know how they think of digital narratives as an expansion of the classical theater experience was very insightful and impressive. I remember that Guido said,” Theater is a technology that other realities are built upon”. He confirmed that he sees an extended reality piece, be it a WebXR project or in any other form, as another level of reality that can be used in the theatre. He also said that such practices mostly emerged as the pandemic happened. Apparently, through the pandemic, they made several co-productions in terms of making a digital representation of their works. And now they are aiming to incorporate such productions at FWT’s regular practice.

Later, Lena shared that she believes immersive technologies allow to turn the analog room (stage) of theatre into a digital room (space) for new young audiences, the digital natives. She also expressed that a theatre play should keep evolving over time, and the classic analog theatre’s affordances do not allow the play’s text and content to change shape and transcend as our real-life reality changes directions. Therefore, a digital extension of the play could compensate for it, by being a live organ that transcends and talks to the new debates on a social level.

Caroline added she tries to organize the communication channels on social media, like Instagram, the website, etc., not only to promote the upcoming events at FWT but also to track down what is meaningful and likable for their audience.

Having already enjoyed reading the play, meeting this group of creative people, made the whole production exercise even more exciting for me.

I’m looking forward to seeing how far can we go.