Center Stage Robotics

Center Stage Robotics is a cross-sector collaboration between the performing arts sector, the creative industry and academics. The project is led by Ulrike Quade Company in collaboration with visual artist Bram Ellens, Event Robotics and Utrecht University, with tech. dramaturg Marijke Hessels as project leader.

From July 2023 to December 2024, we delved into the world of industrial robots and robotics within theatrical and performative settings. The aim of this project is not only to inspire the performing arts with fresh ideas and innovative forms of work, but also to explore how puppetry and other performing arts can enhance the expressive power of robotics.

‘Yesterday’s puppets are tomorrow’s robots.’

Within this project, we have been constantly looking for new ways to bring these worlds closer together. This has created opportunities to showcase industrial robots and create an innovative meeting place for artists, programmers, researchers and visitors. Through research, interdisciplinary projects and bringing together specialists from different fields, we have achieved the most unexpected results.

About Ulrike Quade

Partners

Research projects

Residencies

27 November 2024

An open invitation for artists to work with a KUKA robot for an extended period of time, leading to public and informal presentations.

Sprints

27 November 2024

Ongoing open research sessions on performative robotics with various professional contributors and exclusive robotics.

Technology and art

Ulrike Quade Company has been Amsterdam’s pioneering interdisciplinary visual theatre company for more than 20 years. We also act as a centre of expertise and creative hub for the cultural and creative sectors. Our performances combine puppetry and technology as equal theatre disciplines.

At Ulrike Quade Company, our mission is clear: to blur the boundaries between technology, art and humanity. The Company is where tradition meets innovation. We explore the human experience in relation to the world around us and examine how it changes in different times and contexts.

Under the artistic direction of Ulrike Quade, we engage with professionals from the performing arts, the creative industry and science. Together, we enter uncharted territory and experiment with new forms of storytelling.

Our main focus is on giving ‘soul’ to objects and spaces – capturing that mysterious element that breathes life into things.

In recent years, we have expanded our expertise in puppetry to include robotics. Ulrike Quade and the company discovered that our skills in this area added value to robotics. We discovered that by applying the techniques of puppetry and animation, industrial robots could evolve beyond mere technological novelty.

We thoroughly investigated how technology – especially industrial robots – performs on stage. The result? A new experience for audiences and society, with a refreshing balance between dystopian and utopian visions of the future. Center Stage Robotics has given us the opportunity to look at the world through fresh eyes, and shed light on important social developments.

About us

Photo: Transketeers

‘By bringing together science, technology and art, we are creating a powerful space for innovation – one that challenges societal norms and opens new perspectives on the issues that define our world today.’