Theatre Meets Tech

NYT & Microsoft's Digital Accelerator

The Collaboration

National Youth Theatre partnered with Vital Culture UK and Microsoft to create a unique digital storytelling experience. Over two days in Manchester, we transformed traditional theatre-making by integrating AI tools and live streaming technology.

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 programs that put artists in dialogue with technology.

See Our Other Tech+Arts Projects here

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