A Two-Day Intensive Seminar for Michigan-based Arts and Culture Leaders, supported by CultureSource

While nonprofit arts and cultural organizations work to rebuild audiences and visitors post-pandemic, the commercial entertainment landscape has shifted dramatically. Producers of immersive experiences of all kinds are extracting millions of dollars in demand for live entertainment from major markets across the US, much of it arts-based. 

This two-day seminar will delve deeply into the theory and current-day practice of immersive programming, drawing on 2+ years of research. The seminar will cover the core drivers behind public adoption of immersive experiences, the range of technologies that make different kinds of immersive and virtual experiences possible, new approaches to storytelling, the role of immersive design, the function of setting/venue, and the challenges of product development in the immersive space. Participants may bring specific ideas for new programs to the seminar, or use the seminar as a launch pad for conceptualizing new programs. 

The goal of the seminar is to support participants in gaining a sense of the range of new programming opportunities in the augmented, immersive and virtual programming spaces in order to make smart investments in the most promising new programs.

What previous participants had to say

• “100% worth it. We learned so much and it helped shape my thinking for the future of our org.”
  
• “It was all relevant and provided a common knowledge base and vocabulary […](which I think was helpful given our various starting points).”
  
• “I’m tired, but feeling really inspired and excited to dive back in at [my organization] once I get home. I have already been sharing what I learned at the intensive with some of my [ensemble] and Board members, and everyone is super jazzed! I can tell that the information you all shared will have an impact on [my ensemble]. Thank you for helping us (nonprofits) think critically about how we can inhabit these immersive spaces.”
  
• “I am writing from the airport, snow falling thickly outside the windows, nearly bursting with the percolation of ideas. Excited to return to my team to share! The hospitality in that gorgeous historical home, chocked full of interesting colleagues, in-depth presentations, delicious meals catered to every dietary need, and one hound for every three participants, made for memories I will cherish, and hopefully, a future that will enrich even more lives [back home].”
  
• “I’ve been sad, crusty, and cynical for months, and participation in the session – in such a beautiful, intellectually stimulating, generous environment with smart, charming, caring and interesting people – was the best possible antidote.”
  
• “What a stimulating couple of days with you at the Motown Mansion. I heard you. Immersive work is coming: there is demand for it, based on human need; arts orgs need to ground ourselves in stories and story structures that could be rich in immersive formats; and we must invest in R+D and in collaborations of substance to succeed in this new realm. […] The knowledge you shared—after painstaking research and preparation—will help us to conceptualize the future and to commit to experimentation. I feel lucky to have had my understanding deepened. I carry with me a sense of responsibility as I share visions of a likely future.”

Agenda overview 

Feb. 5, 2024 (Monday)

• 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – short seminar for individual artists interested in immersive work
• 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. – reception and time for informational pitch sessions from artists willing to share their current or aspirational work in the immersive space

Feb. 6, 2024 (Tuesday), 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (breakfast and lunch provided)

• Genesis, history, and drivers of public interest in immersive experiences
• Adoption of immersive products in fashion, architecture, nightlife, theme parks, public art and visual arts
• Key categories of immersive programming in the arts and culture (augmented, in-real-life, and virtual experiences)
• The critical role of setting
• Overview of immersive technologies
• Sharing concepts for immersive experiences

Feb. 7, 2024 (Wednesday), 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (breakfast and lunch provided)

• New approaches to storytelling
• Immersive design
• Economic models, human resources, and investment requirements
• Case study exercises with three to five specific immersive program ideas

Faculty

Registration information

Deadline for registration

To be announced.

Registration instructions

To be announced.

Preview

Here’s a preview of where you’ll be. These pictures are from our previous seminar, held in January 2023 at the Motown Mansion.

Get in touch

Please contact Njeri Rutherford at CultureSource for registration information or more details.