Future of Performance: PresenceFreespace

Shuttling between the real and virtual worlds with tiny robotic vehicles, Presence is a real-time adventure that offers the audience the chance to participate in a live performance via an online platform. Through an interdisciplinary combination of live performance, installation, game control programming and first-person game play, the work-in-progress piece examines the potential of telepresence techniques in online performance.

The performance offers two levels of participation: “Drivers”, who extend their physical presence by remotely operating robotic video vehicles to interact with the performers and objects on-site and unlock hidden plots and stories; and “Observers”, able to choose an overview or a viewpoint of one of the “Drivers”, to explore several unnamed locations, viewing them from unfamiliar perspectives.

Presence is devised to question the affect of pandemic experiences of physical separation on our current lived experience of physical mobility and telepresence. The production is presented as part of Freespace’s Future of Performance series.


About the Future of Performance series
In 2020, Freespace commissioned three teams of young local artists to explore the future of contemporary theatre and performance through innovative new creations. These collaborations evolved into three new works being presented between 2021 and 2023: A Thousand Plateaus, Bright Day and Presence.

More Details
https://www.westkowloon.hk/en/presence#overview

This is an accredited event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
This programme is part of Creative Tomorrow exclusively sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Part of the research and development is supported by HKADC. Hong Kong Arts Development Council fully supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not represent the stand of the Council.

● Suitable for ages 12 and above.
● This online event requires audience participation.
● Only one ticket can be purchased for each session per email address.
● Within 3 working days of purchasing a ticket, participants will receive an email from Rooftop Productions with the website link and login details for the performance.
● Participants are advised to login to the platform 15 minutes before the performance starts.
● Participants should prepare a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date web browser ( e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Safari ). Phones and tablets are not supported.
● For the best experience, we encourage participants to wear headphones and have a microphone available ( or the built-in mic on laptop ).
● For the best real-time experience, we suggest participants to use WiFi or ethernet to connect to the internet. Cellular connections may experience slower reaction times.
● Please note that the performances will be recorded, as photographs, videos and screen capture images for promotional and archival purposes.
● This programme contains strong language.
● The organiser reserves the right to make changes to the programme without prior notice.