“O brave new world, That has such people in't!”

This December the Royal Shakespeare Company, Watershed and nine fantastic creative practitioners will come together in Stratford-Upon-Avon for a ground-breaking R&D lab.

From magic and illusion, to stormy weather and familial forgiveness, the Lab will be rooted in the RSC’s current production of The Tempest, which has been created in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios. Together the artists will explore and inspire new ideas that blend technology and art expanding the themes of the play beyond the stage and potentially create new experiences for audiences around Shakespeare’s great play.

Designed to sit alongside the RSC’s ground-breaking production of The Tempest, the lab will be facilitated by magician Stuart Nolan with practitioners drawn from a range of disciplines:

Jane Gauntlett is a writer for film and theatre, she is excited by a good story, mind trickery and turning audiences into participants.

Tom Pursey is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Flying Object, a London-based creative agency focused on experiences, content and interactive digital.

Kathy Hinde explores the relationship between nature and technology through audio-visual installations and performances that combine sound, sculpture, image and light.

Tony Churnside is a creative technologist and digital innovator. He creates new audience experiences by leveraging technology in novel ways.

Jono Sandilands is a graphic artist exploring design, printmaking and screen-based-technology, embedding interaction and games into physical artworks.

Ross Sutherland is a writer/performer based in the UK. He does lots of different things that don't all fit together neatly, but includes immersive theatre works, poetry, games and film.

Aisha Sanyang-Meek is a 20 year old performer, filmmaker and writer. She is currently working with Rise Youth Dance Company in Bristol, is part of Watershed’s Rife alumni and was recently commissioned by Channel 4 Random Acts to write and direct her first short film 'Hairitage’.

Jessica Curry is an internationally acclaimed BAFTA-winning composer of contemporary classical music and is also co-founder of renowned games company The Chinese Room.

Sarah Ellis, Head of Digital at the Royal Shakespeare Company says,

“We are looking forward to exploring the themes of the Tempest with this great group of artists and also with our friends and provocateurs at Watershed. It’s great to explode the work we have done on The Tempest with new collaborators.”

Victoria Tillotson, Producer at Watershed says,

“Watershed are so excited to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company on the production of the Creative Lab. Making space to build relationships, begin conversations, and consider how themes that were culturally pertinent over 400 years ago, still have massive relevance today, is really exciting. We can’t wait to see what happens.”

The Lab will begin on Wed 14 Dec with all participants watching The Tempest, together. We will post ideas and thoughts from the Lab online as it happens.

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