Expanding theatres: why hybrid matters.
Theatre is evolving — expanding beyond traditional venues into a richer, more inclusive blend of physical and digital experiences.
Hybrid theatre combines live performance with digital innovation, empowering artists, producers, and organizations to engage broader, more diverse global audiences.
The background that lead to this toolkit
In 2024 four partners (NITE/Club Guy & Roni and DEN in the Netherlands, digital agency Substrakt and Annette Mees of Audience Labs in the UK) came together to explore how digital technology can work with live performance, whether that is to share a piece more widely, create new experiences alongside it, or enhance an existing piece of live performance. This toolkit is one of the results of that collaboration. The research project ran alongside a dance production by Club Guy & Roni, HIIT and 2k.far called Faith, which was made with Moroccan choreographer Khalid Benghrib.
The team worked with different artists, makers and technologists across mediums to explore how to expand the themes, stories and process of the show beyond the stage. Both to deepen the experience of the live show for those who saw it, and offer something standalone for those who did not, especially those in Morocco or otherwise excluded by geography.
The results of this work can be viewed on faith.show.
This publication is part of the research project Venues of the Future, funded by the 2022 Open Call Innovatielabs by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie and CLICKNL in the Netherlands.
Explore hybrid theatre offline? Download the pdf.
- Ideal for Sharing and Advocacy.
- Easy to Print and Annotate.
- Read Anytime, Anywhere – Even Offline
- Designed for Flexibility and Inspiration
Insight
“Hybrid formats can break down barriers—geographical, social, physical—and reach audiences who might never set foot inside a theatre.”
What You Can Gain: Why Use This Toolkit?
This guide is built on real-world research and cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists, technologists, and producers. By using it, you gain:
- A practical framework for planning, producing, and sustaining hybrid theatre experiences.
- Strategies for collaboration across artistic and technical teams.
- Tools for reaching broader audiences, especially those who can’t or won’t attend in person.
- Advice on funding, staffing, and digital sustainability, tailored for small to mid-sized cultural organisations.
- Real-life lessons and pitfalls, to help you avoid common mistakes and build more resilient, exciting work.
The people behind this project
This publication is the result of a collaboration between NITE/Club Guy & Roni, DEN, Substrakt, and Annette Mees(Audience Labs). Their collective expertise spans theatre-making, digital innovation, immersive storytelling, and strategic cultural leadership.