Projects
THE RESISTANCE PROJECT
THE RESISTANCE PROJECT
As a theatremaker who is new to immersive technologies, my Project has two key parts: first, to learn from experienced makers who already incorporate these tools in their work. And second, to bring this new knowledge back to the RESISTANCE rehearsal room, for the work's next evolution.
Over the course of 2025, inspired by resistance figures and movements from history, I began researching stories of hope and courage which might have particular resonance today. Armed with these stories, I worked with actors to develop potential fictionalised narratives in this area. This culminated in a work-in-progress show in January 2026, under the title THE GREATER GOOD COMPANY.
At the moment, the only technology the show makes use of is the power of acting. But, as resistance is such an actively communal topic, I've been looking for ways to enrich an audience's experience of the world of the play. An audience should ideally feel activated and engaged -- and perhaps even implicated or complicit.
Explore
£5,000
I'm going to be looking at how immersive technologies can enhance the audience's experience of my theatre work inspired by resistance narratives.
Aims of the project
I will be using my Immersive Arts project time and funding to access training in immersive theatre, to engage with immersive artists who inspire me, and to bring that knowledge back into my own rehearsal room.
I will start by bringing these news skills into the next iteration of RESISTANCE PROJECT workshops; thinking carefully about how to layer in new elements of audience experience. My long-term hope, though, is that the incorporation of additional technologies is something that feeds into my work for many further projects to come.
Emma Wilkinson
Director
she/her
I’m a drama director with a particular interest in stories that tackle something urgent — but which do so with heart. I love work that is deeply collaborative in the making process, and which continues to spark conversation beyond the production.
Professional highlights for me have included: directing an episode of CASUALTY (which showcased the journey of a young man overdosing on chemsex drugs), taking a production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE on an educational tour across Japan, and working as an Assistant Script Editor on the Netflix adaptation of ONE DAY.
Outside of directing, I’ve also worked as a software developer and am a keen amateur carpenter and scuba diver. I hope these crafts give me a unique edge in the rehearsal room, but they may well just be fun ways to spend time.
