Digital Performance

Overview
Digital performance is an umbrella term that includes many different areas of study. These include: Virtual Theatre,
Digital theatre, Cyberformance, Cyber theatre, Online performance and Networked performance. Digital performance has been described as:
‘A performance activity with new digital technologies - from live theatre and dance productions that in corporate digital projections, to performances that take place on the computer screen via webcasts and interactive virtual environments.’
Digital performance is an area of constant change and development, and more and more artists and practitioners are using technology within their performance pieces.
Digital Performance: A History
Similar to the political and cultural histories, the history of digital performance has involved a combination of both gradual and more sudden evolutions enhanced by revolutionary change. So far within Digital Performance we can categorise periods that roughly respond to different decades. These are:
* Futurism - 1910-1960
* Mixed media performance - 1960-1990
* Experimental theatre - 1990-present
Since the 1960s, there has been a proliferic use of media projections and experiments within theatre, dance and performance art using screens and video monitors. Since 1970 there has been a period that has put an emphasis on using the visual over the verbal. A term that before 1970 seemed unusual within theatre.
The Use of Computer Technology within Performance
During the last couple of decades of the twentieth century, computer technology has played a dynamic and important role in theatre, dance, live art and performance. New types of performances and forms of theatre have appeared on the internet and in interactive installations. The application of new media being used in performance is extremely diverse. The interactive capabilities which have been opened up by computer technology allows for shared creativity either in the same country, or global group projects. This has proven that distance is no barrier within collaboration.
Digital Performance in Theatre
Theatre, dance and performance art have always been interdisciplinary forms. Throughout the last century, theatre has been quick to accept the aesthetic and dramatic potentials of new technologies, and putting them into practice.
‘ From the early Deus ex Machina, to the guild-produced medieval pageant wagons, to the introduction of gas, and later electric, lighting effects, to the modern use of computers to control lighting, sound and set changes, technology has been used in ways that have created incredible visual and audio effects.’
Theatre has always used the most cutting edge technologies of the time to enhance productions. There are many practitioners who have used digital technology within theatre, ranging from Edward Gordon Craig to Erwin Piscator. The use of the digital within performance has provided a bridge between the ‘live’ and ‘present’ actors and performances to the computer based modern technology.
The Digital Revolution
During the twentieth century digital computer technologies have become increasingly popular, bringing technology into many different cultures and societies. The Digital Revolution began during World War II within the defence and weaponry systems. This then began to evolve changing science, engineering, electronics and even robotics in a significant way. By the 1990s, technology had become a vital part of communication and information processes between industrial societies and even public societies. The Digital Revolution’s influence on the arts, creativity and culture has been significantly effective within film and television ( for example; special affects) as well as performance arts.
The Digital Revolution, especially the internet, is always assumed to be a worldwide access point. However for countries other than Europe, the US, Australia and Japan, the Digital Revolution has not yet taken place. Just because internet signals travel around the world doesn’t mean that they reach the ‘less fortunate’ nations. To have internet, you must have finance. Art activists such as Guillermo Gómez-Peña have created and are still creating performances to address and offer solutions to the Digital Divide. It would seem digital technologies are still struggling to break into many countries, a privilege we in the EU, US, Australia and Japan take advantage of.
Theatre vs. Technology
There is one fundamental issue that clouds and questions the theory and practice of digital performance- the tensions that connect the live ontology of performance arts and the mediatised non-live nature of virtual technologies. ‘Is a performance a performance if it is purely projections or film? What if it is an online performance via webcast or website? Is this theatre?’ It has been concluded that the ‘virtual’ is not what is deprived of theatre, but that the virtual posses the potential and the force to develop into actual existence. Anything is possible within technology, once it is combined with theatre.

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