How Are We Connected? Measuring Audience Galvanic Skin Response of Connected Performances."

Accurately measuring the audience response during a performance is a difficult task. This is particularly the\ud case for connected performances. In this paper, we staged a connected performance in which a remote\ud audience enjoyed the performance in real-time. Both objective (galvanic skin response and behaviours) and\ud subjective (interviews) responses from the live and remote audience members were recorded. To capture\ud galvanic skin response, a group of self-built sensors was used to record the electrical conductance of the skin.\ud The results of the measurements showed that both the live and the remote audience members had a similar\ud response to the connected performance even though more vivid artistic artefacts had a stronger effect on the\ud live audience. Some technical issues also influenced the experience of the remote audience. In conclusion we\ud found that the remoteness had little influence on the connected performance

How are we connected?

Accurately measuring the audience response during a performance is a difficult task. This is particularly the case for connected performances. In this paper, we staged a connected performance in which a remote audience enjoyed the performance in real-time. Both objective (galvanic skin response and behaviours) and subjective (interviews) responses from the live and remote audience members were recorded. To capture galvanic skin response, a group of self-built sensors was used to record the electrical conductance of the skin. The results of the measurements showed that both the live and the remote audience members had a similar response to the connected performance even though more vivid artistic artefacts had a stronger effect on the live audience. Some technical issues also influenced the experience of the remote audience. In conclusion we found that the remoteness had little influence on the connected performance

How Are We Connected? Measuring Audience Galvanic Skin Response of Connected Performances."

Accurately measuring the audience response during a performance is a difficult task. This is particularly the case for connected performances. In this paper, we staged a connected performance in which a remote audience enjoyed the performance in real-time. Both objective (galvanic skin response and behaviours) and subjective (interviews) responses from the live and remote audience members were recorded. To capture galvanic skin response, a group of self-built sensors was used to record the electrical conductance of the skin. The results of the measurements showed that both the live and the remote audience members had a similar response to the connected performance even though more vivid artistic artefacts had a stronger effect on the live audience. Some technical issues also influenced the experience of the remote audience. In conclusion we found that the remoteness had little influence on the connected performance

Emotional Biosensing: Exploring Critical Alternatives

Emotional biosensing is rising in daily life: Data and categories claim to know how people feel and suggest what they should do about it, while CSCW explores new biosensing possibilities. Prevalent approaches to emotional biosensing are too limited, focusing on the individual, optimization, and normative categorization. Conceptual shifts can help explore alternatives: toward materiality, from representation toward performativity, inter-action to intra-action, shifting biopolitics, and shifting affect/desire. We contribute (1) synthesizing wide-ranging conceptual lenses, providing analysis connecting them to emotional biosensing design, (2) analyzing selected design exemplars to apply these lenses to design research, and (3) offering our own recommendations for designers and design researchers. In particular we suggest humility in knowledge claims with emotional biosensing, prioritizing care and affirmation over self- improvement, and exploring alternative desires. We call for critically questioning and generatively re- imagining the role of data in configuring sensing, feeling, ‘the good life,’ and everyday experience

Co-present and remote audience experiences: intensity and cohesion

This article presents the results of modelling audience response to new types of networked theatre plays. As the main contribution of the work we introduce two types of metrics: intensity, relating to how intensively co-present and remote aspects of a performance are rated, and cohesion, relating to how a performance as a whole, the combination of co-present and remote aspects, affects an audience. In particular, we model audience response based on two in the wild evaluations, staged by a low budget theatre company, a streamed and a distributed performance. The streamed performance is similar to NT Live, where a theatre play is delivered to other theatres with an audience. The distributed performance, on the other hand, connects actors in two different theatres (with audiences) creating one single play. The streamed performance was experienced as less intense as well as less cohesive by the remote audience, whilst the distributed performance integrated co-present and remote aspects tightly. Remote aspects of the distributed performance were still experienced as less intense, but the performance as a whole was highly cohesive. Apart from the identification of these two new metrics (intensity and cohesion), based on our experiences we argue that an innovative way of bundling relevant emerging technologies is needed to give a voice to the, as yet silent, remote audience

Catching feelings: Measurement of Theatre Audience Emotional Response Through Performance

Attendance at live theatre is declining. Although emotional experiences are a primary motivator for people to attend theatre, many leave disappointed, never to return. Catching feelings, therefore, is core to successful theatre business models. Yet, there is a surprising lack of research investigating audiences’ emotional experiences while they are watching a play. This thesis explores the complex historical partnership between theatre and emotion, and suggests that measurement of physiological response using wearable biometric equipment is a viable tool for measuring audience emotional response during a performance. Literature on measuring emotion in theatre is reviewed and categorized into four core areas. A framework for measuring physiological responses to theatre performances is proposed. A mixed-methods experiment measuring the physiological responses of nine audience members attending a production of Lauren Gunderson’s play "I and You" at London's Hampstead Theatre is analysed and the playwright is interviewed on her expectations of the audiences’ emotional response. The findings indicate that participant physiological arousal significantly increased at the surprise climax of the play as compared to two other sections of the play. Participants reported feeling, similarly, emotions of surprise and sadness. This suggests that audience emotional responses correlate to plot points with expected emotional response. Additionally, the use of measurement equipment is well tolerated during a performance. Based on this, a new model for rating the impact and capacity needs of emotional engagement activities is suggested, providing a novel tool for theatre companies to influence the behaviour of new and returning attendees, generate additional revenue, and connect audiences and theatrical experiences in enhanced, emotionally meaningful ways