Virtual Conservatoire collaboration unveiled

The UK’s leading Conservatoires today unveiled an ambitious project that has seen the institutions transform their facilities using digital technology, to push the boundaries of performing arts training and create new potential for live performance.

Entitled ‘Virtual Conservatoire’, the four-year project is a collaboration between us and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS), Central School of Ballet, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Royal Academy of Music (RAM) and Royal College of Music (RCM) and backed by HEFCE / Office for Students Catalyst Fund.

Together, we are transforming their facilities into state-of-the-art digital spaces that enable creative collaboration between each conservatoire's students and partners across multiple locations, in real time. The result is a new template for conservatoire training, which pioneers digitally enabled pedagogy and practice, and the scope to transform live performance art into a multi-location experience.

To test the cutting-edge technology, students from across the conservatoires hosted a series of ‘scratch nights’ that will culminate in a formal production created with immersive theatre makers, Raucous. The performance of Otis and Eunice will see two interconnected shows played out simultaneously to two audiences, in two venues from two different cities, creating a dual perspective on the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.

The show – which will be performed in Bristol and London on 29 and 30 March – demonstrates the potential of the ‘Virtual Conservatoire’ to bring together the best creative talent,  marry multiple disciplines, including dance, music and drama and push the boundaries of the development, performance and audience’s experience of art.

Sharon Clark, Creative Director for Raucous, says: “This has been an extremely vibrant and vital project to work on with the Conservatoire – exploring how we can work with the schools to convey two distinct theatre stories which can ‘interrupt’ each other using live streaming.

“It has been fascinating to create with students a live experience that can transform how they will think about performance in the future and how they can collaborate digitally to take their theatre making in new and unexpected directions. It has been a forward thinking and bold artistic undertaking.”

Following the successful launch of the programme, the consortium plans to continue to extend the reach and impact of the ‘Virtual Conservatoire’. The consortium will use the programme to create relationships with sector and industry partners and audiences globally, who will be able to access and experience learning and performance, enhanced by engagement with additional online collections and resources.