Faraway, So Close: Bringing the Online on Stage

Abstract

Until relatively recently, science and technology on the one hand and various forms of artistic expression on the other were generally considered to be separate manifestations of human cultural production. Today, however, more and more examples of how they can interact in complementary and mutually enriching ways. In the words of Charlotte Hale, science communicator, choreographer and dancer with the Flux Dance company: “You’ll probably leave a performance with an opinion. You’ll talk about it afterwards and it’s that conversation that is the key to science communication and engagement”. Or, as Alexander Kelly, co-artistic director of Third Angel company puts it: “Theatre and science collaborations can help anticipate the future and help … understand what’s coming … pose some big questions about who we are as human beings … the massive impacts on our lives”. Here Luca Giacomini and Giorgio Bertolusso propose ways in which experiences that involve both theatre and digital technology can build awareness of the complex nature of each of them and the roles they can play in the lives of each one of u.