Open Online Theatre is an online space where audiences can interact with artists to create performances together, from anywhere in the world.

This week we were joined by Joumana Mourad, Creative Director of IJAD Dance Company. Joumana shared her journey of developing Open Online Theatre and discussed the possibilities of where it could go next. 

These are my five headlines:

1. IJAD Dance Company are interested in exploring the interplay between performer and audience, breaking down the fourth wall and using technology to include the audience with the creative process.

2. One performance invited audience to share their secrets with IJAD between 12pm and 4am around a large table with audiences in cities across the world. The secrets influenced the choreography of the dancer in real-time. As the project developed, Joumana began to collect secrets through social media.

3. Collecting stories through social media opened up the possibility of audiences interacting with performers from across the world from the comfort of their sofa – removing many barriers.

4. IJAD Dance Company began a residency at FACT, Liverpool, to develop Open Online Theatre. The company is working with an astrophysicist to explore matter, time, space and gravity as parameters for choreographing movement. 

5. Using six cameras in their Studio, the company invites an audience into the space physically and virtually. The audience are asked to share their ideas, within the given parameters, for the dancers to improvise around in real-time using #Orbitsprocess. 

Joumana is inviting other performers to experiment with Open Online Theatre and explore the possibilities of co-curation with a virtual audience. IJAD will be offering eight choreographers the opportunity to attend a workshop (phyically or virtually) to learn how to use Open Online Theatre. Choreographers can be based anywhere in the world. Please contact IJAD directly if you are interested: hello@ijaddancecompany.com (please note this opportunity is subject to funding).

Watch this film to find out more about Open Online Theatre.