Actor training underwater in the future

Abstract

An account and report on the findings of the Story Futures funded research project, Watercourse: Actor Training and Virtual Production in Immersive Dome Spaces, with project partners, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Hi9 Natural Language Agency. The research, testing the potential of emergent virtual production and immersive technology to ‘Queer Time’ actor training in the near future, took place at Devonport Market Hall immersive dome; a 15-metre world-class immersive projection space in Plymouth. Testing the integration of technology in training was not intent on developing actor training methodologies specifically for immersive performance or virtual production; the enquiry was into the potential for integrating new technology into extant approaches now and the near future to address current concerns about specific areas of actor training practice.