A brand new data-driven digital art and performance festival, Puncture The Screen, has been announced by theatrical innovators Chronic Insanity to take place on 29 & 30 July.

The two-day online event champions digital creative culture and aims to exhibit the best in digital creativity alongside industry-led workshops, with networking and educational opportunities to support artists in honing their craft to create their own digital masterpieces.

Puncture The Screen will celebrate the work of artists new to digital creation in theatre and performance. Blurring the lines between theatre, film, music, visual and audio art, creative coding, and video games, the works commissioned by the festival will offer an unusual and unique experience.

The digital sphere has created a new way for artists to continue to make, grow and expand their practice beyond venue walls, however the connection between audience and performer remains harder to obtain online. Chronic Insanity seek to navigate this by utilising audience data to produce a uniquely customised performance each time, crafting a connection through the personalisation. The festival aims to provide the tools and knowledge for others to enhance their digital performances in a similar fashion, puncturing the screen and connecting audience with artist.

Digital Producer Joe Strickland said: “We really want this festival to show the full innovative strength of digital art and performance. We want to show off its accessibility, its sustainability, and its affordability for both creatives and audiences alike. Digital Theatre saved us this past year, and the future of the arts is in part digital, so we’re keen to keep supporting and creating as much digital art and performance as possible. Puncture The Screen is going to help us support other artists, performers, and creatives from a wide range of backgrounds with our commissions, how-to videos, panels, and workshops. We want people to leave the festival feeling inspired and confident in their ability to create work in this exciting, new, opportunity filled medium.”

Following an open call out for creatives to showcase their work in the festival, Chronic Insanity have curated an innovative and diverse line-up of events. The works exhibited as part of Puncture The Screen include: The Next Best Thing by Emily Holyoake/Chronic Insanity, message not sent by YESYESNONO, The Ashes World Tour by Naomi Westerman/Little but Fierce, Creative coding and post-classical piano by Larkhall, Augmented Art by Tom Shennan, and Displacement Native by Michael-Jon Mizra.

Following the initial launch, Puncture The Screen will be made available to access on demand until Friday 13 August.

For more information, please click here.