Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival Sets 2016 Digital Theatre Programme

A new festival at Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms today unveils its first programme announcement, presenting over 55 digital theatre titles to Scottish audiences throughout the month of August 2016.

Reaching new audiences and promoting wholly new art forms and experiences to public audiences, EDEF celebrates the intersection of digital technology and arts entertainment, exploring the opportunities available to audiences to experience new technology through VR, games, digital theatre, event cinema and live to digital events and performances.

By bringing together digital theatre, live cinema events, keynote speakers, tech exhibition and practical workshops in games, VR and digital production, the festival will invite audiences to enter the world of digital entertainment through a programme of talks, screenings, workshops, interactive exhibition and live performance.

William Burdett-Coutts, Festival Director EDEF, Assembly and CEO Riverside Studios said:

This will be a great addition to the mix of festivals that take place in Edinburgh and is a starting point for what we intend will become an ongoing conversation that leads to building bridges between the world of arts & entertainment and that of digital technology. We have had a fascinating few months meeting people from many different areas and are completely inspired by the interest that people from both arts and technology backgrounds have shown in what we are doing. We look forward to bringing back what we learn at EDEF to a year round application when Riverside Studios re-opens in 2018.

Audiences can expect to see the best in digital cinema offerings from RSC, NT Live, ENO, Royal Ballet and more alongside interactive events and screenings of mixed media and live sound from New Media Scotland, Rob Florence and a live music performance and associated screening celebrating the work of Pierre Boulez in collaboration with University of Edinburgh.

A series of keynote talks and events will run throughout the festival, bringing arts producers, interested audiences and digital makers together to explore the future of live performance in an increasingly digital world. Speakers and programme partners include The Imaginarium Studios and RSC, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, BBC and BBC Academy, Sky, Random Acts, The British Council, Picturehouses, The Space and the Event Cinema Association.

Sarah Ellis, Head of Digital Development, Royal Shakespeare Company said:

The work we are doing with Intel and The Imaginarium to create our forthcoming production of The Tempest is a great example of technical and creative collaboration that will move performance and theatre making forward in really exciting ways, so it is great to be able to share that work with our collaborators with audiences in Edinburgh. My role at the RSC is to continually explore new and creative ways of using technology with theatre-making, so I am really looking forward to being part of the EDEF programme.

Fiona Morris, The Space commented:

The Space is delighted to be taking part in the inaugural Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival. A significant part of our remit is to explore and establish sustainable and effective ways that artists and arts organisations can engage with audiences online, offering the widest possible access to the arts digitally. The EDEF will provide a unique opportunity to share and discuss the latest developments and trends.

Celebrating 2016 as the 'year of VR' EDEF invites audiences to explore and experience new technologies hands-on from tech partners that include Europe's largest VR conference, VRTGO, Samsung, Microsoft, Lego Education, BBC Micro:bit, Big Learning Company, Igloo Vision and VR City Films alongside the latest games and 360 narrative content from a range of VR headsets.

Carri Cunliffe, producer of VRTGO said:

The expo will see some of the latest VR experiences, games and films, giving attendees a chance to try exclusive content and immersive technology. People will be amazed at where VR and AR technology can take them and how emotive the experiences are. This expo is one not to miss for anyone interested in digital technology.

Tickets for the full cinema programme go on sale with the Fringe on 8 June and the full programme will be announced online after 10 June 2016 at www.edef.co.uk

The festival takes place in Edinburgh this Summer at the iconic Assembly Rooms, in the heart of the city, between 4 - 28 August.