Whilst industry champions fight to protect creatives from the risks of AI, innovators at the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) have discovered the potential of emerging technologies to “unlock new artistic frontiers”.
This month, BRB launched its new Virtual Stage, becoming one of the first ballet companies in the world to embrace the use of immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), 3D mapping and Motion Capture. Artistic Director, Carols Acosta, hailed the move as the latest example of the organisation’s effort to attract younger audiences to the world of classical ballet and push the boundaries of the artistic form.
The platform also seeks to improve accessibility in classical ballet, a longstanding campaign within the BRB and across the sector. The Virtual Stage hopes to attract those who wouldn’t normally attend BRB productions and also offer behind-the-scenes content to improve its offer to existing consumers. With the first project showcasing AI versions of props and costumes from Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker and a Birmingham-wide “Nutcracker trail” planned for later this year, it appears BRB is charting a course through the sector’s technological revolution.
Discover BRB’s Virtual Stage here
