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UK-China Digital Connectivity

In response to COVID19, Digital Theatre or Cloud Theatre, has been the latest area of development in performing arts industries across the world.

March 20th 2020 will be remembered for the start of ‘Lockdown’ in the UK, when all performing venues closed to the public. Steve Ansell, Artistic Director and manager of Leeds University stage@leeds took this challenge as an opportunity and developed a new means of delivering performance: stage@leedsDigital. Using digital theatre as a central hub, stage@leedsDigital created a palette of platforms for digital delivery. In addition to developing a new website, with an area dedicated to digital practice, there are platforms for delivery on all major social media platforms. The stage@leedsDigital team successfully produced a series of performances and webinars throughout May and June 2020. They are looking forward to creating new performance with their partners and another cohort of creatives when stage@leeds opens its doors once more in September https://stage.leeds.ac.uk/

Meanwhile in China, Shanghai Yue Opera House also successfully launched their digital theatre in the pandemic. In April 2020, project partner Shanghai Yue Opera House pioneered digital streaming in collaboration with TikTok and received 1.8 million hits, the highest audience online viewings in Shanghai. In August 2020, SYOH was selected to join the 5G 50 National Theatres Digital Streaming Season, a major national online theatre event in response to COVID-19, in collaboration with the China Central Media Group.   http://news.cctv.com/2020/08/07/ARTIRFhwIPr4eTIopSruDFRF200807.shtml

With the gradual easing of COVID19 restrictions, the performing arts industry is once again flourishing across Shanghai as audience capacities limitations have been relaxed from 30% to 50% capacity. Whereas in the UK, live performance venues remain closed with Leeds Playhouse having cancelled their Summer schedule of shows – dates to be rearranged for 2021.