AI and virtual reality are transforming live performance, offering immersive experiences that redefine how audiences engage with the arts. In September 2025, Porto’s Coliseum theatre in northern Portugal hosted a groundbreaking stage performance titled Re-embodied Machine. This innovative show featured a dancer equipped with motion sensors, interacting dynamically with lights and sound that responded to his movements.
- Ultimately, the collaborative efforts of Katsouros and his colleagues suggest that technology can serve to enhance the emotional connection inherent in live performance, rather than replace it.
Innovative Performance Captivates Audiences
The performance, which utilised AI technology, attracted over 300 attendees in person and was streamed live via virtual reality (VR) to an additional 200 online viewers. Participants in the virtual audience experienced a 3D reconstruction of the theatre, with an avatar mirroring the dancer’s movements. This event provided a glimpse into how digital tools are reshaping live art.
Positive Feedback from the Groundbreaking Event
Dr Vassilis Katsouros, director of the Institute for Language and Speech Processing at ATHENA in Athens, Greece, expressed optimism about the potential of such technologies in the performing arts. “We received enthusiastic comments from the live audience and even from people who tried the VR,” he noted. “Although there were limitations, and it wasn’t a perfect replica of the physical performance, we achieved a VR transmission in a real setting with spectators. The technology is now there to start finding the right ingredients.”
A Collaborative European Initiative
Re-embodied Machine was the culmination of a three-year EU-funded initiative known as PREMIERE, which brought together cultural and research organisations from Cyprus, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. The project aimed to explore the integration of AI and VR into the performing arts, developing tools that enhance remote access to performances.
Exploring New Dimensions of Performance
The PREMIERE project also investigated VR rehearsals, allowing performers located remotely to interact in a virtual theatre. Dr Aggelos Gkiokas, an AI researcher at ATHENA and co-coordinator of the PREMIERE project, highlighted the success of these sessions. “The actors were impressed by the usability of the VR headsets, which captured facial expressions so they could properly interact,” he shared. “When two actors hugged each other in one virtual rehearsal, they described it as a really emotional moment.”
Opportunities for Enhanced Audience Engagement
According to Gkiokas, the performing arts present a unique research foundation for developing advanced digital tools, stating, “In both theatre and dance, we find facial and language expressions that are outside the norm. That makes such performances a good training environment for AI algorithms to understand and replicate extreme expressions that machines cannot capture today.”
Broadening Access to Performances
The technologies explored during the initiative not only create new opportunities for engagement but also enhance accessibility for those unable to attend performances due to geographical constraints or health issues. Audiences may soon enjoy the ability to view performances from multiple angles or even participate interactively in new formats.
Pioneering Research on Past Performances
The PREMIERE team also examined how digital tools could enrich the understanding of historical performances. Features like 3D visualisation and automatic subtitling were added to archived footage, enabling artistic directors, researchers, and actors to study previous works with fresh perspectives.
Creating Synergy between Arts and Technology
Dr Kleanthis Neokleous, who leads the immersive technologies group at the CYENS Centre of Excellence in Nicosia, Cyprus, noted that the project fostered a common language between the realms of performing arts and technology. He stated, “The cultural and creative industries have become a key area for exploring AI and VR at CYENS, with performing arts groups both in Cyprus and elsewhere in Europe now approaching the centre to discuss collaboration.”
Challenges and Ethical Considerations Ahead
Despite the progress made, the integration of AI, VR, and performing arts is complex. Researchers identified challenges such as limited avatar resolution during live performances, high costs of motion capture systems, and issues like dizziness experienced by actors during prolonged VR use.
Ethical concerns were also raised. The team highlighted risks, including the potential for technology to overshadow traditional artistic practices and the exclusion of individuals without digital access or skills. Current software biases towards Western styles of movement and dance were also mentioned as significant challenges.
Looking Towards the Future of Live Performance
While the PREMIERE project has achieved significant advancements, researchers believe that the use of AI and VR in the performing arts is still in its infancy. They anticipate that these technologies will mature over the next five to ten years, paving the way for a new generation of artists ready to embrace these innovations.
Dr Gkiokas affirmed the team’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology, stating, “We understood the current limitations, but we’re here to continue working on new projects and pushing state-of-the-art technologies.”
Ultimately, the collaborative efforts of Katsouros and his colleagues suggest that technology can serve to enhance the emotional connection inherent in live performance, rather than replace it.
