A Telepresence Stage for Disability Performing Arts

在2019冠状病毒病封锁期间，表演艺术是受影响最严重的行业之一，导致剧院持续关闭，该行业的许多人长期失业。与许多其他职业一样，表演艺术也转向了网络平台，比如Zoom作为另一种发泄渠道。但由于其孤立的视频窗口盒的限制，表演的可能性有限，迫切需要一个更加身临其境和直观的在线戏剧环境。由Paul Sermon （PI）和Steve Dixon （International Co-I）领导的原始网真舞台项目（https://www.telepresencestage.org）结合了视频会议、3D数字舞台设计和在线视频混合技术，与10家专业剧院和舞蹈公司合作，开发了一系列适合用途的替代解决方案，这些解决方案已成功用于2019冠状病毒病疫情封锁期间的一系列演出。这个后续项目现在着眼于如何将这些网真舞台解决方案具体用于残疾人表演艺术部门。早在封锁要求出现之前，残疾人就利用了在线通信的好处，而且越来越多地继续这样做。对许多残疾人来说，封锁更像是一个“公平的竞争环境”，因为残疾人和非残疾人都必须在相同的条件下工作和社交，因此受益于当时激增的在线应用程序、资源和接触艺术的进步。“残疾人表演艺术的远程呈现舞台”将直接与英国两家领先的残疾人表演艺术公司合作，分别是格拉斯哥的天堂鸟剧院公司和伦敦的CRIPtic艺术公司。该项目将应用和利用在以前的研究中取得的技术进步，以确定新的特点，技术和定制的解决方案，专门为残疾人表演艺术部门。两家公司将进行为期四个月、久经考验的网真舞台驻留计划，以发展独特的公共表演成果。通过使用和调整已开发的工具和技术，他们将接触到以前由于地理或流动性限制而无法接触到的参与者和受众，并让他们参与进来。表演成果将包括混合解决方案，结合现场舞台制作和远程在线远程呈现参与，以及通过国际联合i和新加坡拉萨尔艺术学院领先的数字表演专家Steve Dixon的持续参与，与新加坡的残疾人表演者进行国际合作。这为生产带来了国际化的可能性，而没有物流复杂性、成本和旅行的碳足迹后果。通过与英国残疾历史月和残疾艺术在线的合作，最终的演出将通过他们的网络和公共平台进行首演，覆盖英国60多个残疾人组织和团体，包括残疾人权利活动家和政策顾问，以及残疾人表演艺术部门和公众。后续项目将在最后一次专题讨论会中达到高潮，对成果的好处、可能性和未来应用进行反思和讨论。项目合作伙伴“残障艺术在线”将利用他们的平台举办研讨会，发挥重要的网络和传播作用。该平台每月的浏览量超过4万次，保证了有影响力的参与和成果的传播。此外，残障艺术在线将利用该平台推广和免费分发《网真舞台手册》，其中包括为参与公司量身定制的案例研究，为更广泛的英国残障表演艺术界提供全面的资源和参考点。

The performing arts were one of hardest hit sectors during the COVID-19 lockdown, resulting in sustained theatre closures that saw many in the sector out of work for long periods. Together with many other professions, the performing arts turned to online platforms, such as Zoom as an alternative outlet. But with its isolating video window-box constraints, the performance possibilities were limited and a more immersive and intuitive online theatre environment was urgently needed. Using a combination of videoconferencing, 3D digital stage designs and online video mixing techniques, the original Telepresence Stage project (https://www.telepresencestage.org) led by Paul Sermon (PI) and Steve Dixon (International Co-I), worked with ten professional theatre and dance companies to develop a range of alternative fit for purpose solutions that were successfully used in a range of performances during COVID-19 lockdowns. This follow-on project now looks at how these Telepresence Stage solutions could be used specifically by the disability performing arts sector. Disabled people utilised the benefits of online communications long before the demands of lockdown and increasingly continue to do so. For many disabled people, the lockdown felt rather like a 'level playing field', as both disabled and non-disabled people had to work and socialise under the same conditions, and so benefited from the advances in online applications, resources and access to the arts that proliferated at the time. 'A Telepresence Stage for Disability Performing Arts' will work directly with two of the UK's leading disability performing arts companies, the Birds of Paradise Theatre Company in Glasgow and CRIPtic Arts based in London. The project will apply and utilise the technological advances made during the previous research, to identify new features, techniques and bespoke solutions specifically for the disability performing arts sector. The two companies will undertake the tried and tested Telepresence Stage residency programme lasting four months to develop unique public performance outcomes. Using and adapting the developed tools and techniques, they will access and engage participants and audiences they would not have been able to previously due to geographic or mobility restrictions. The performance outcomes will include hybrid solutions, combining live staged productions with remote online telepresence participation, as well as international collaborations with disabled performers in Singapore, through the continuing involvement of the International Co-I and leading digital performance specialist Steve Dixon at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. This brings an international dimension to the production's possibilities without the logistic complexities, costs and carbon footprint consequences of travel. Through partnerships with UK Disability History Month and Disability Arts Online the resulting performances will be premiered using their networks and public platforms, reaching over 60 disability organisations and groups across the UK including disability rights activists and policy advisers, as well the disability performing arts sector and the general public. The follow-on project will culminate in a Concluding Symposium, providing reflections and discussions on the benefits, possibilities and future applications of the outcomes. Project partners, Disability Arts Online will play a key networking and dissemination role by hosting the symposium using their platform, that receives over 40,000 views per month, guaranteeing impactful participation and distribution of the outcomes. In addition, Disability Arts Online will use the platform to promote and freely distribute the Telepresence Stage Handbook, featuring tailored case studies on the participating companies, providing a comprehensive resource and reference point for the wider UK disability performing arts sector.