A critical debate on how MoCap and AI reconfigure performer presence and theatrical space while redefining labour, embodiment, and dramaturgy in hybrid performance.

Part I — Project Context & Findings (20–25 minutes)

We will open the event with an overview of the project, grounded in a report that outlines our research methodology and its connection to artistic practice. This section will highlight the project’s key activities and outcomes, including four interdisciplinary workshops with playwrights, actors, directors, and graphic designers, as well as the creation of a pilot performance.

Part II — Keynote Talks with Rachel & Dragoș (30–60 minutes)

Our invited keynote speakers, dr. Rachel Hann (Associate Professor of Performance and Design, Northumbria University) and Dragoș-Florin Stanculescu (CEO, Holotech Studios, Inc.), will offer critical insights into emerging dramaturgical models and the socio-cultural and ethical implications of blending motion capture technologies with theatre. Topics include:

• the hybridization of mocap and theatre within the artistic labour market
• navigating in-between creative spaces
• the integration of artificial intelligence into performance processes
• “transness” as a conceptual lens for understanding fluidity, transformation, and liminality at the intersection of live art and the digital age

Part III — Q&A Session

We will conclude with an open Q&A, inviting participants to join the discussion and engage directly with the speakers.