Digital Theatre - an experimentarium
at the Kaserne Scenen

The Digital Theatre: an Experimentarium examines the artistic possibilities involved in the encounter between real and virtual performers, between virtual beings in real spaces and real beings in virtual spaces. These encounters will be established by various means of digital technology transforming movements in time and space into 3D-animations via digital data. The technology used for this purpose is motion capture technique, animation programs and projection techniques.

The Digital Theatre Experimentarium is divided into two laboratories. The first takes place in February and March and consists of two parts: a series of public seminars that is available to everybody interested and a workshop restricted to a small group of artists, technicians and students in which there will be hands on experiments with the technological equipment. The second laboratory is scheduled for May and June and will also be divided into two parts: Firstly, a second more intensive workshop in which the production teams formed during the first will progress towards a working demonstration in the beginning of June which will be shown in the context of DANSEDAGE 99, an international dance festival 20 May through 6 June being organised by Kulturhus Århus/ Art Crash. Secondly, an final seminar in which the experiences from the two laboratory sessions will be closely analysed in order to sum up the lessons to be learned from the mixture of theatre, dance and technology.

This Experimentarium is arranged and conducted by associate professors Torunn Kjølner, Niels Lehmann, Kim Halskov Madsen and Janek Szatkowski as part of a national three year research project entitled "The Staging of Virtual Inhabited 3D-spaces". Freelance choreographer and digital artist consultant Scott deLahunta of Writing Research Associates has assisted in its organisation and will be in residence as visiting professor during the two Laboratories. The three year "Staging... " project involves the close interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration of a number of institutions and organisations, and this consortium is co-ordinated by Prof. Lars Qvortrup from Aalborg University.

An international gathering of dance, theater, media and digital artists and architects will participate as seminar contributors, workshop leaders and advisors during the Experimentarium including: Claude Aebersold (CH), Thomas Albech (DK),Susan Kozel (UK), Susan Rethorst (US/ NL) Luca Ruzza and Laura Colombo (IT), Sven Erik Søfelt (DK).

The Digital Theatre Experimentarium is economically supported by:

• Udviklingsfonden, Kulturministeriet,
• Research Project "The Staging of Inhabited Virtual 3D Spaces",
• Aarhus Universitets Forskningsfond
• Kulturhus Aarhus/ART CRASH
• LEGO
• MAYA v/ Peter Ludolph

The Digital Theatre Experimentarium is arranged in collaboration with

• InterMedia Århus
• Centre for Information Technology (CIT)
• Kulturhus Århus/ART CRASH
• Research Project "The Staging of Virtual Inhabited 3D-spaces"
• The Department of Dramaturgy and The Department of Information & Media Science, University of Århus

• Bodybuilding -- a 3-D poem in two parts
  
• MediaSpace [look in on a rehearsal]
• Analytical Seminar