Future Stages May 2024

Theatre arts x Tech
In collaboration with Innovation:Lab by Theater Utrecht

Future Stages is the name of a series of talk shows initiated by Ulrike Quade Company in collaboration with Innovation:Lab from Theater Utrecht, where the collaboration between theatre and new technologies takes center stage. Experts in both subject matters present their work, process, and the journey they took to get there. Knowledge, craft and insights are bundled into conversation and questioned, to further examine the intersection between theatre and technology.

In all talk shows there’s one central question that is probed, always from a different angle: How can theatre arts and technology work together in an innovative way?

Exploring creativity in the age of AI

Ever wondered about the impact of AI on the world of performing arts? Curious to explore its role in sparking creativity? And willing to dive deeper into AI than the couple of Big Tech programmes such as Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT? If so, join us for the upcoming Future Stages event hosted at Frascati.

In an era where AI is marketed as redefining the boundaries of creativity and arts, it is important to understand its impact on the performing arts. The Future Stages event, organised by Ulrike Quade Company and Innovation:Lab, provides a platform to analyse, discuss and envision the future of creativity in a partially/hybrid digitally driven world. We explore whether it is possible to become an AI cyborg in the performing arts field, and what artistic, societal and ethical questions we should take into consideration when morphing into that creature.

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Does AI enhance or hinder creativity?
This event will bring together industry experts to explore the impact of AI on creativity. Through engaging discussions and insightful presentations, we aim to address the fundamental question: Does AI enhance or hinder creativity?

Diverse audience

Future Stages welcomes all curious minds passionate about the evolving relationship between technology and the arts. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a budding artist, a tech enthusiast, or simply someone intrigued by the fusion of creativity and innovation, this event is for you.
We believe it’s essential that everyone attends to bridge the gap between experts and newcomers. This inclusive environment encourages collaboration and allows everyone to contribute and learn, regardless of background or expertise.

Event Details

The program starts off with presentations from three distinguished speakers. Stay engaged as our speakers interact with the audience facilitated by host Marijke Hessels, technical dramaturg at Ulrike Quade Company.

Program

7:45 PM – Doors open
8:00 PM – Opening
8:10 PM – Speaker 1 begins
8:25 PM – Speaker 2 kicks off
8:40 PM – Speaker 3 presents
8:55 PM – Break
9:10 PM – Interactive discussion with audience and speakers
9:30 PM – Networking and refreshments at the bar .

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Speakers

Nikzad Arabshahi

Nikzad Arabshahi, an interdisciplinary artist, holds a background in Visual Art and Computer Science. Since 2003, he has excelled in visual and generative art, specializing in immersive multimedia environments and A/V performances.
In Future Stages, he shares firsthand experiences in integrating AI, ML, and creative coding into performances and installations.

Piek Knijff

Piek Knijff (1981) is a philosopher and data ethicist, and director of Philosophy in Action. Since 2011, Piek has been concerned with the ethical side of digitisation, technology, data and algorithms and prompts thinking in organisations about them. During Future Stages #7, Piek dissects the narrative surrounding AI and takes you through an ethical look at this technological development from her political and social philosophical background.

Tom van de Wetering

Tom van de Wetering (1986) studied New Media & Digital Culture at Utrecht University and then worked on critically-hilarious stories at media lab SETUP. Currently at HKU, he is responsible for vision and education development in the field of generative Artificial Intelligence. During Future Stages, Tom talks about his experiments with speech synthesis at Innovation:Lab and how to assess such AI-assisted (artistic) performances as a teacher, audience or theatre critic.

Program previous Future Stages (#6)

24 January 2024 – 19:30 – Theater Utrecht

Kris Verdonck

The work of Kris Verdonck (1974) operates at the intersection of visual arts and theatre, between performance and installation, dance and architecture. On stage he combines the ‘dead’ (equipment/technology) with the ‘alive’ (performers). During Future Stages, Verdonck takes you into the animation of the ‘dead’. How do you bring a device to life and use it to engage the empathic capacity of your audience?

Edwin Dertien

Edwin Dertien (1979) studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Twente and obtained his PhD in 2014 with his inspection robot PIRATE. With this doctoral research, he also contributed to the establishment of the Creative Technology program. He is currently a professor at the Robotics and Mechatronics research group and works as an independent engineer in the art world. In this Future Stages event, he shares his experiences, lessons, and pitfalls of working with robotics from these perspectives.

Mette Sterre

The way complex body masks restrict and allow movement forms the basis of Mette Sterre’s (1983) performances, installations, and films. Sterre explores how the human contour in the broadest sense can be disrupted, both ideologically and materially, to ask the question of what else we can be besides human. In Future Stages, Sterre explains how she incorporates robotic elements into performances, installations, and costumes to explore blends between the human and the more-than-human.

Residents Center Stage Robotics

In Center Stage Robotics, Ulrike Quade Company, along with various partners, conducts research into industrial robots and robotics in theatrical and performative settings. Within this research, various artists in residence collaborate with industrial KUKA robotic arms. In Future Stages, residents Marijn Brussaard and Niek Vanoosterweyck (duo) as well as Lea Elleman provide insight into their research. Niek and Marijn use the classic mime style of Étienne Decroux as a starting point to bring the robot to life. Lea Ellemann combines her practice as a fashion designer with 3D printing, sound design, and (robotic) movement.

Panel discussion, lead by Marijke Hessels

After the break, Techdramaturg and Senior Research & Development at Ulrike Quade Company, Marijke Hessels, will moderate a panel discussion with all the speakers. The audience will also have ample opportunity to ask questions to the speakers.

Drinks

After the program, we will conclude the evening with a drink, allowing for further discussion and networking.

A drone desperately zooming around in a bird’s cage, singing people falling from the sky in a VR-opera, set designs in 3D-animation, an enormous machine swinging around chains like the ‘Mad King.’ These are intriguing images that represent new forms of theatre.

Future Stages are a series of three talk shows organised by Ulrike Quade Company, focused on the collaboration between theatre and new technologies. In conversation with professionals and experts, the group aims to bundle the knowledge gained in the field. At the first meeting the speakers underlined the importance of connecting technology at its inception with an idea or concept.

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Science-fiction is a perfect way to explore the unknown and unpredictable future. Many times in novels, films and games, the possibilities of technological innovations, consequences of scientific findings, or the changing relation between human and robot are investigated. Theatre arts too lends itself to asking that one question: What If?