Theatre Meets Tech

NYT & Microsoft's Digital Accelerator

The Collaboration

National Youth Theatre partnered with Vital Culture UK and Microsoft to run a two-weekend Digital Accelerator programme for young creatives, exploring how AI, live streaming, and gaming tools can reshape theatre-making. Tanya Vital was lead facilitator. The programme was shortlisted for The Stage Innovation Award in the Innovation category (December 2025).

"Love in the Trenches" — a World War II romantic comedy with audience-driven plot decisions — was created by participants during the programme as a live demonstration of everything they had learned.

The Experiment

At Contact Theatre and Pac-Man Live Experience Arcade, participants:

  • Co-created scripts using ChatGPT and Copilot

  • Designed digital assets with accessible AI tools

  • Built live-streamed performances where audience votes changed the story in real time

The Performance:

"Love in the Trenches" - A World War II romantic comedy where:

  • Twitch chat voted on key plot decisions

  • ChatGPT appeared as an in-story Games Master

  • Pre-recorded scenes blended with live improvisation

Our Approach

Vital Culture UK focused on:

  • Making technology feel approachable through hands-on play

  • Designing accessible workflows that kept energy high

  • Framing ethical questions about AI in creative terms ("When should the AI get writing credit?")

  • Balancing structured learning with space for surprise

What Emerged

  • Participants who'd never used OBS built complete live streams

  • The group developed their own shorthand for tech troubleshooting

  • AI became a creative partner rather than just a tool

  • The arcade environment inspired playful risk-taking

Why This Matters

This project revealed that:

  • Young artists want to work with tech when it serves their stories

  • "Imperfect" digital elements often create the most authentic moments

  • Hybrid spaces (theatre + arcade) spark unexpected creativity

Let's Build Together

Interested in creating your own version? We design bespoke programmes that put artists in dialogue with technology.

See Our Other Tech+Arts Projects here

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This project was made possible through support from Microsoft's Responsible AI initiative and National Youth Theatre's digital programme

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