House of Experiences – turning virtual living spaces into sustainable business and well-being

The aim of the House of Experiences project is to find new business and space models for service providers and owners of different types of premises affected by the pandemic and the rise of digitalisation. Turku UAS will focus on developing virtual activities in the performing arts. We are developing a service for streaming performances.

The corona pandemic drove many theatres to stream performances. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement in their implementation and exploitation. The project will organise a training course on streaming, focusing on the cooperation between theatre directors and multi-camera directors. What pre-planning needs to be done for streaming, what is selected for the screen for the viewer, how much use should be made of cinematography, how to prepare for streaming, whether the performer’s work differs from that of a live performance, how to make a technically high-quality stream, etc. What could the viewer get from the streaming that they would not get from a live performance? The training also includes tips on how to productise, sell and distribute the stream.

We will also experiment with streaming where the audience and the performers interact with video and speech as well. For example, how does an interactive magic show streamed to a restaurant work? We will take streamed performances or performance installations to hotels and restaurants, with the aim of exploring whether streaming could become a customer-attractive service that would benefit both the hotel and restaurant operators and performing artists. The possibility of simultaneous viewing at different locations in the hotel chain, or the conditions for adding cultural offerings to the in-room TV offer.

The project will pilot a concept where the role in a play is rehearsed using VR glasses. We will investigate whether this could be useful, for example, in theatres to train understudies for plays, or in theatre schools. Consumers might also be interested in trying out what it feels like to jump on stage e.g. at the National Theatre and act.

We are also conducting laboratory research on the reception of streaming performances. The research will capture the emotional states that viewers experience when watching a performance, as well as the focus of their gaze. We are exploring whether this kind of lab testing could be helpful, for example, in the theatre directing process.

See also the project’s website at kokemustentalo.fi