Huirui Zhang
BA English Drama and Theatre & Art History
BLUE Residency
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Winter
2022
Investigating touch-based engagement in performance: intersections between theatre and cognitive science
BLUE Residency
Winter
2022

Background

I want to explore outside the literary boundary of theatre (broadly speaking, performing arts) and jump into an intersection with cognitive science in investigating the complexity of "touch-based" engagement one received in in-person performances. What does the two-fold feedback loop formed between performers and spectators look like if shown on the cognitive level? How our brain makes us feel "relatable," "immersive," or "real"? How could we even measure it? I am looking to play with the value of physical presence, relationality, and immersive experience in both physical reality and virtual alternatives.

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