You can watch a choreography of heads by the spectators, and you can watch the spectators perform. It's a one of a kind experience! —Michel Reilhac

Steeds meer makers ontwikkelen in die nieuwe taal een eigen handschrift. De meest opzienbarende, en ook nogal gehypte mix van VR en AR werd gebruikt in Free UR Head van de Taiwanese regisseur Tung-yen Chou waarin twintig deelnemers in een openluchttheatertje tegelijkertijd met hun hoofd en ogen in hun headset een aantal bewegingen volgen. —NRC

Let’s play a game—a game about freedom…
 

8 Degrees of Freedom is an exciting new chapter in Very Theatre’s Free UR Head series, combining VR, music, dance, and theater. Through a series of carefully crafted games on stage, audiences will join dancers and musicians for a unique experience in music and dance performance. This immersive experience unveils thrilling sparks and fresh creative potential as VR meets the language of theater, delivering an unprecedented performance like no other.

CHOU Tung-yen is renowned for pioneering VR works that push the boundaries of new media, recognized at major film festivals like Venice and Cannes. Free UR Head, an unprecedented large-scale outdoor digital dance event, was premiered at the Kaohsiung Film Festival in 2023 and selected for the “Venice Immersive” section at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024. Returning to the theater setting in 2025, this performance features emerging artist HUNG Yi-po as the movement designer and performer, and LIAO Hai-ting from the NTUA Center for Sound Arts and Acoustics Research as the sound and music designer. Together with the audience, they will delve into the dynamic intersection of VR and theatrical , sparking an exhilarating XR, body, and music extravaganza at the NTT.

Audiences  who wear VR headsets will be engaging in interactive games  and  body movement to become part of the performance on stage. Those who prefer to be observers  can view the stage with a comprehensive perspective, sometimes as spectators, sometimes participating through interactive mechanisms, completing the 8 Degrees of Freedom from start to finish. These two groups of audiences will collectively ignite the magic where technology meets theater, creating an unforgettable experience.

Very Theatre

Founded by film and theater director CHOU Tung-yen, Very Theatre focuses on cross-disciplinary theater and has produced numerous internationally co-produced works, actively connecting to the global stage. In recent years, the company has ventured into integrating VR technology with theater, pioneering a novel immersive experience for audiences. Very Theatre has received accolades such as the Best Interactive and New Media Award at the World Stage Design and the Best Projection Design at the Knights of Illumination Awards in the UK. It has also won the Grand Jury Prize at the NewImages Festival, and been nominated for the Venice Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, BAINS NUMÉRIQUES in France, Golden Horse Awards, and Taipei Film Awards, with invitations to prominent film festivals worldwide.

Director & Concept／CHOU Tung-yen
Performer & Choreographer／HUNG Yi-po
VR Programmer／HUANG Yu-jie
VR Experience System Design & Technical Team／Fugu Fish Creations  
VR Interaction Design & 3D Art Team／Ankh Interaction Design Ltd., CrtlS Ltd.
Music & Sound Designer／LIAO Hai-ting (NTUA  Center for Sound Arts and Acoustics Research, Taiwan)
Theatre Producer／Neo WU
Company Manager／CHEN Yi-zhen