Digital Theatre Open Call: ETC Research & Development Sprints

Apply for funding to support a digital co-production between two ETC Member Theatres with the consultancy of the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund (Germany).

What is ETC’s Digital Theatre Programme? 

To accompany European theatres as they experiment with new digital projects, disseminate learning from professional development activities, and ensure a human-centred digital transformation, ETC has created ETC’s Digital Theatre Programme.

This includes support for ETC members to either develop new productions with digital tools together (“Research & Development Sprints”) or dedicate time to experiment with the latest digital theatre tools (“Laboratory Retreats”). Exclusive workshops and webinars, as well as ETC Conferences on digital theatre, will be available to ETC members and will be accompanied by bespoke advocacy and policy activities.  

The Programme is supported by a pioneering partnership with the Academy for Theatre and Digitality in Dortmund/Germany, helping to guide ETC members through this process and to mainstream knowledge about and access to digital theatre. It is one of five key programmes in ETC’s four-year plan of activities, co-funded by the European Union, called European Theatre: BREAK THE MOULD (2024-2028). 

Learn more about ETC's Digital Theatre Programme

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As part of ETC’s Digital Theatre Programme, the first round of the ETC Research & Development Sprints is now open for application. In this round, three grants of 3.000 € will be awarded to teams of two ETC member theatres.  

The call for the second round of the ETC Research & Development Sprint will be published in November 2025. 

The call for the ETC Laboratory Retreats will be published in April and November 2025.

What you bring: 

• Shared vision: You team up with another ETC Member Theatre and come up with a concrete idea for a co-production including digital tools. 
• Openness: You’re ready to work with a Digital Expert and include this person in your creative team (and payroll). This expert will accompany the co-production; the Academy will help you to find the right person for you. 
   

What you need to do: 

• Identify a suitable partner theatre from another ETC Member Theatre 
• Develop a concrete idea for a co-production with digital tools 
• Apply by 15 January 2025 through our application form. Please submit one joint application together with your partner theatre, specifying the coordinating partner to whom the 3.000 € will be paid out. 
• Spend 2 days in March 2025 at the Academy for Theatre and Digitality to devise the call for your Digital Expert to be your Artist in Residence. 
• Commit to enlisting the artist on your payroll as part of the creative team and paying them a fee in line with your usual creative fees. 
• Take into account that your Digital Expert will devise the digital aspects for your production in Autumn 2025. 
• Submit a short report (2 pages incl. pictures and links) with key learnings on the collaboration process and co-production development after your premiere. 
   

Selection criteria:  

• Cross-border partnerships 
• Level of innovation in the use of digital tools in theatre 
• Description and motivation of project and scope
• Focus on artistic use of digital tools (e.g. motion capturing, coding, MR, AR, VR, robotics, computer science, sound, film, interaction design etc.). 

The two ETC Member Theatres applying for the Research and Development Sprint Grant can individually decide how to share and use the gross 3000 € in financial support. Eligible costs are travel and accommodation costs to the Academy for Theatre and Digitality, as well as purchase costs related to production, software- or hardware costs, etc. 
 
The Research and Development Spring grants are only available to ETC Member Theatres. 
 
Deadline to apply: 15 January 2025 
Results will be announced in the beginning of February.