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Can emerging technologies expand creativity and bring people closer to the magic of the performing arts? 

 

The PREMIERE project, an EU funded initiative, studied AI and VR digital tools in relation to how people experience art, blending human emotion, movement and innovation. The project’s results show that live performance can become more interactive and accessible to everyone - both in theatres and online – while being enriched through immersive and inclusive experiences. 

 

The research was highlighted in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine published on behalf of the European Commission, in an article titled “On with the show: AI and virtual reality step in to transform live performance”.

 

The three-year project brought together research and cultural organisations from six European countries, Cyprus, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The Institute for Language and Speech Processing (ILSP) of Athena research center coordinated the project. 

 

The PREMIERE team explored a range of applications, including remote rehearsals using avatars, automated subtitling, and digital archiving of performances through 3D visualisation. The researchers developed practical tools to support the use of AI and VR in live performance. At the same time, they acknowledged important challenges. Technical limitations—such as high cost of motion capture systems, avatar realism, and user fatigue in extended VR rehearsals—remain significant. Ethical and social concerns were also raised, including the risk of digital exclusion and the potential for AI systems to favor certain movement styles or artistic norms. Despite these challenges, the research community sees strong long-term potential. AI and VR are still at an early stage in the performing arts, but continued research and interdisciplinary collaboration are expected to lead to more mature, accessible, and creative applications over the coming years. 

 

For Athena, these developments highlight how advanced digital technologies can support innovation at the intersection of culture, technology, and society, fostering new forms of artistic expression.