ACuTe. Culture Testbeds for Performing Arts and New Technology is a Creative Europe project that, a few weeks ago in Bilbao, brought together a consortium of 14 organizations from ten European countries to reimagine how performing arts can evolve in the digital era.
Azkuna Zentroa – Alhóndiga Bilbao is the only Spanish institution to have participated in this consortium, which has included landmark spaces such as Ars Electronica and the European Theatre Convention, the largest organization of public theaters in Europe.
Between 2022 and 2026, this testbed has linked artistic experimentation with technological innovation to integrate as part of the performing arts scene virtual reality (VR), video game narratives, animation, projections, and geocoding. The aim is for these elements to become essential components of artistic exploration, storytelling, and live arts production.
Moreover, the project has highlighted the importance of process, knowledge exchange, and experimentation in creating tangible and innovative prototypes in the fields of dramaturgy, stage design, and audience participation.
At a moment when technology raises as many concerns as opportunities for reaching new audiences, ACuTe. Culture Testbeds for Performing Arts and New Technology has opened multiple channels to strengthen the connection between the performing arts and society, as well as professional training within theater institutions.
Azkuna Zentroa, Strategic Partner
Over these four years, Azkuna Zentroa has hosted four of the nine new experimental productions developed within this framework. Dozens of professionals from Det Norske Teatret in Oslo (Norway), the National Theatre Marin Sorescu of Craiova (Romania), and Schauspielhaus Graz (Austria) have worked on portions of their creative processes in Bilbao with tailored support and guidance.
In addition, the Center organized in May 2025 the European Symposium Peripheries Of Performing Arts & New Technologies, aimed at the professional sector of artistic practice. Focused on envisioning the future of the performing arts, the presentations centered on the challenges and opportunities of digitization, interactivity, and artificial intelligence.
Lastly, with support from the European Commission, Azkuna Zentroa–Alhóndiga Bilbao has advanced the experimental production of a performing arts piece with Basque choreographer and performer Ziomara Hormaetxe.
The project closes with the release of ACuTe Casebook – Digital Theatre, a compendium of the experiences and conclusions contributed by the 14 entities that formed this consortium. The publication brings together diverse and specific practices: from incorporating artificial intelligence as a character on stage at Det Norske Teatret, to digitally dystopian works awarded at De Toneelmakerij; and includes energy-sustainability experiments at Théâtre de Liège, as well as proposals that blend projections, video-game aesthetics, and virtual reality across various European contexts.
Azkuna Zentroa contributes to this manual with its experience as a residency space during the development of ACuTe. The center highlights the importance of fostering these “post-premiere” residencies because they provide crucial opportunities for reflection, critique, and collaboration, which ultimately contribute to the refinement and evolution of the artistic works. The knowledge gained during this process, the document asserts, not only enriches the specific production but also strengthens the broader cultural landscape, inspiring future generations of artists and audiences alike.
