QPAC Announces New Partnership with Google

Launched on 1 December 2015, a new online experience by Google, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and some of the foremost performing arts centres around the globe allows people to immerse themselves in the magic of live performance. The partnership supports the growing trend of Australians using the internet to access arts content.

QPAC and the Google Cultural Institute are inviting people to a unique interactive exhibition experience of performing arts, drama, dance, music, opera and more. The partnership between Google, QPAC and over 60 of the world's foremost cultural institutions now enables web users to step on stage and mingle with the likes of the some of the world's most renowned performers and performance companies.

Google Cultural Institute viewers can now navigate in 360 degree videos of performances, which give the experience of being on the stage shoulder-to-shoulder with artists as they perform. Panoramic Street View imagery gives all-access backstage pass to users, who can peek behind the curtains of iconic venues such as the Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic and Opera Garnier in Paris, before browsing over a hundred interactive stories to learn about the shows, the stars and the world behind the scenes.

The exhibition invites users to see some of the exciting happenings at QPAC this year in ways they have never been seen before thanks to the latest in video technology.

Roxanne Hopkins, Executive Director Marketing at QPAC said "Our digital marketing team has been working with Google for a number of years to find unique ways to reach new audiences online, as well as preserve and promote culture to audiences in Australia and abroad. People make the mistake of thinking live performance and digital environments are at odds, quite the opposite. The internet is a powerful way to share cultural experiences and such new technologies are enabling QPAC to give audiences different insight into the world of performing arts."

"A recent report by the Australia Council for the Arts outlines the growing proportion of Australians using the internet to access arts content. It says that use of the internet for the arts between 2009 and 2013 increased at a faster rate than overall internet usage and by 2013 over half (56%) of Australians used the internet to watch or download art such as music, visual art, and performances.

"Working with digital leaders such as Google on arts content creation and sharing is a critical part of our digital strategy, and helps us deliver arts experiences to our audiences far beyond the four walls of our theatres at QPAC," said Hopkins.

The Google Cultural Institute works with over 900 organisations to bring the world's cultural treasures to the fingertips of Internet users and builds tools that allow cultural institutions to share more of their art and heritage with audiences beyond their walls.

For this launch, QPAC has joined performing arts institutions from over 20 countries and created over a hundred interactive stories, sharing a total of 8000 photos, videos and other documents online in collaboration with Google. The latest innovations in tech help bring the magic of these legendary venues to life, and give everyone a chance to feel the excitement of standing centre stage.

Amit Sood, Director of the Google Cultural Institute commented: "We are delighted to collaborate with so many of the world's renowned performing arts institutions, representing the best in drama, dance, music, and opera. For the first time, they've been brought together in one virtual space. Our goal is to open up performing arts to all, to catch the eye of the curious and offer access to details that even die-hard fans have never seen before."

The new online performing arts exhibition opened on the Google Cultural Institute website and is available for anyone to see on mobiles, tablets and desktop computers. You can also watch all the 360 degree videos on YouTube. View QPAC's content at https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/partner/atqpac.

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