IJAD Dance Company

Text reads 'One week left to apply. Could you be our next Programme Manager? Apply by Monday 28 July, midday.' Next to it, a photo of Tom Marshman on stage in front of an audience. He's performing an excerpt of his production, Section 28 and Me, during Pitch and Mix at Southbank Unlimited Festival.

🚨 One week left to apply to be our Programme Manager: UK Commissions.

Lead the delivery of UK commissions, work closely with artists, and deliver high-quality, inclusive opportunities.

🌟 Hours per week: 40
🌟 Salary: £33,063
🌟 Find out more and apply by Monday 28 July, midday: bit.ly/4l0tnQ0

An image of a man leading a performance lecture at OOTFest25 with the words watch on demand, support artists now

A selection of performances & panel discussions from #OOTFest25 are available to watch on demand - but only until August!

By making these events available online, we're offering an additional income stream to artists. Watch & support these innovative creators.
openonlinetheatre.org/season/watch...

It's a sunny day in Castle Park, Bristol and a white-shaped splat Immersive Arts character is skating over a bridge on the river.

We're pleased to share our learnings from our first funding call. We’ve learnt a huge amount through the process and we hope the collective feedback will support applicants to make stronger applications. www.immersivearts.uk/news/first-round-commentary-annoucement

A blue backgound with an image if immersive work called the Hum, texts reads, 'Are you and an artist based in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or England?

The final round of Immersive Arts funding is now open! UK-based artists can apply for £5k, £20k or £50k to develop work with immersive tech. Open until Mon 29 Sep 2025. This is the last open call—apply now. immersivearts.uk/news/the-final-round-of-immersive-arts-funding-is-now-open

A photo of four dancers performing Resonant Silence at OOTFest25, with the words watch on demand limited availability over the top

If you didn't make it to #OOTFest25, a selection of performances and industry panel discussions are now available to watch online, but be quick - they're only available until 4 August! 👀

Watch now: openonlinetheatre.org/season/watch... #DigitalArts

OOTFest25 watch on demand banner with a picture showing a woman dancing

If you weren't able to join us for OOTFest25, don't worry, a selection of festival highlights are now available to watch on demand via the Open Online Theatre platform.

💰 Performances: £5 per show | Panel discussions: FREE

openonlinetheatre.org/season/watch...

Audience feedback from OOTFest25: very interesting experience and take on the materiality of our world. Thank you for provoking thoughts and feelings!

Audience feedback for Tong Hai Gao Tai 2066 installation at OOTFest25: very strong feeling of the uncanny...it is very atmospheric and generates a strong feeling of affect, what is this all about, of course it is strange to us

At #OOTFest25, we worked hard to create a space for immersive, engaging performance pieces and installations that would provoke powerful reactions and emotions in our audiences.

Creative technologies give us an opportunity to enhance our storytelling and take the audience right to its heart 💜

Take a look back at #OOTFest25, our recent performing arts festival.

If you weren't able to join us, keep your eyes peeled as we're about to launch watch on demand, bringing some of the festival highlights straight to your front room 👀

A performance by Uku'Pacha at OOTFest25

Missed the show at #OOTFest25? We'll be launching a selection of performances from the festival to watch on demand very soon... 👀

A photo of a lone female dancer against a black background. Curving titles read audience feedback, and there is a large speech bubble. The text inside reads: It’s exciting to see familiar and accessible technology taking the next step within the arts. Slowly but surely, we’re moving from experimentation to storytelling, from sharing opinions to creating real experiences. At the edge of innovation, the risk of failure is higher than ever. Yet with the community it fosters, there’s something beautiful about failing, learning, reimagining, and growing together.

It was wonderful to see the reaction of audiences at #OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN, as we explored so many different worlds through digital and immersive storytelling.

If you joined us at the festival, we'd love to know what you thought!

More photos from the festival 👇
bsky.app/profile/ijad...

A female dancer performs with an AI generated avatar on the screen behind her

Uku'Pacha perform with a close up digital projection of the performer on the screen behind them

A couple more highlights from our recent immersive performing arts festival, #OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN held at @riversidelondon.bsky.social.

Images: Alice Underwood

A dancer performs in front of a digital screen

Four people - three women and a man - wave goodbye to someone on a laptop screen after a festival panel discussion

Marlon Barrios Solano gives his AI performance lecture Born in Latent Space at OOTFest25

A man wearing a VR headset experiencing an installation at the festival

We have lots more exciting projects in the works and we hope you'll follow along with us as we continue to experiment and evolve, exploring new ways to bring creative technologies to the arts!

📸 Photo credit: Alice Underwood
#PerformingArts #ImmersiveArts #DigitalArts

Four dancers performing at OOTFest25

A woman on stage with a microphone to welcome the audience to OOTFest25

Two young women experimenting with a VR installation, one wearing a headset the other at her side watching the screen

A busy room full of people enjoying the installations at OOTFest25

June has been a month of hard work, creativity and joy!

It was wonderful to see #OOTFest25 come to fruition after three years of planning and development, and we want to offer a huge thank you to all the amazing artists, technologists, speakers, audiences & volunteers who made it so special.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Joumana Mourad IJAD Dance today announces the line-up for its Open Online Theatre Festival of live hybrid performing arts: OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN, taking place at Riverside Studios in London and online on Open Online Theatre from Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 June 2025. Interview with Artistic Director Joumana Mourad.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Joumana Mourad Riverside Studios

"Many inclusive artists and creative technologists are at the forefront of these developments, expanding what performance can be"

#OOTFest25 #DigitalDance #DigitalArt #WhatsOnLondon

wp.me/pdXz8Y-5Cu

A room full of people listening to a speech at the opening night of an arts festival

A graphic designed to look like a text conversation containing feedback on the opening night of OOTFest25. The first message says "what did you think of opening night?" then reply says "I think the 4 exhibitors yesterday were trying to protect the past in the future. They want the future to keep the past. It's very interesting!"

A massive thank you to everyone who came to #OOTFest25 opening night at Riverside Studios!

We're looking forward to seeing more of you over the next 3 days, as we showcase amazing performances, immersive installations (VR, video & sound) & host expert-led panels.

riversidestudios.co.uk/ootfest25/

AI & creative arts residency pushes the boundaries of performance 🤩

As part of an exciting new collaboration with @ijaddance.bsky.social we hosted an intensive artists development programme in support of the Open Online Theatre Arts & Technology Residency.

More info 👉https://tinyurl.com/4xaaxds9

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Joumana Mourad IJAD Dance today announces the line-up for its Open Online Theatre Festival of live hybrid performing arts: OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN, taking place at Riverside Studios in London and online on Open Online Th...

Want to know more about #OOTFest25?

In this interview, our Artistic Director, Joumana, shares the inspiration for the festival and talks about the inspiring and innovative work that audiences can experience.

ayoungishperspective.co.uk/2025/06/02/i...

The experts joining us for #OOTFest25 include @gboddington.bsky.social @tia-moniqueuzor.bsky.social @clemencedebaig.bsky.social (pictured)

📷 Unwired Dance Theatre at OOTFest22, photo Michelle Rose

A woman in a VR headset performs at a festival, bending backwards

Check out our latest newsletter for details of the speakers joining us at #OOTFest25 for expert-led industry panels:

✨ NoBODY Left Behind
✨ Embracing the Unexpected: The Open-Ended Possibilities of Digital Co-Creation
✨ Exploring Digital Worlds Beyond the Proscenium

mailchi.mp/258d42b18a2b...

A photo of Lucy Bayliss, a white woman with short cropped red hair, wearing a black polo neck top, gold hoop earrings and red lipstick

Sat 7 June, 5.45pm
Exploring Digital Worlds Beyond the Proscenium

Can theatres make the arts more widely inclusive by adopting live-hybrid tech or will this mark the end of ‘liveness’?

Speakers include Lucy Bayliss, Dance East.

riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/o...

Photograph of Ghislaine Boddington, a white woman with dark hair pulled back off her face. She is wearing blue eyeshadow, a dark green v-neck top and a a bold statement necklace

Black and white photo of Prof. Jane Harris, a white woman with long dark hair, looking away from the camera

Black and white photo of Dr Ruth Gibson, a white woman with fair curly hair

A photograph of Prof. Maaike Bleeker, a white woman wearing black, in glasses, holding up a hand. She is standing against a woodland backdrop.

Sat 7 June, 4.30pm
Embracing the Unexpected: The Open-Ended Possibilities of Digital Co-Creation

Can we allow audiences to help craft work in the moment?

Speakers include Ghislaine Boddington, Prof. Jane Harris, Dr. Ruth Gibson & Prof. Maaike Bleeker

riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/o...

Photograph of Dr Tia-Monique Uzor, a Black woman with short hair wearing a mustard yellow top and smiling for the camera

Photograph of Kristina Höök, a white woman with bobbed light brown hair giving a talk. She is wearing a black top and red scarf.

Friday 6 June, 5:30pm
NoBODY Left Behind

How can our bodies stay relevant in virtual worlds? It’s time to recentre the body in digital space while performing arts reconfigure around the latest technologies

Speakers include Dr Tia-Monique Uzor & Kristina Höök

riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/o...

A woman in a VR headset bending backwards - image shows Unwired Dance Theatre at OOTFest22

As part of #OOTFest25, we'll be hosting expert-led panel discussions exploring the future of performing arts and technology.

✨ 6 Jun: NoBODY Left Behind
✨ 7 Jun: Embracing the Unexpected: The Open-Ended Possibilities of Digital Co-Creation
✨ 7 Jun: Exploring Digital Worlds Beyond the Proscenium

We're so excited that OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN is almost here!

📆 5-8 June 2025
📍 @riversidelondon.bsky.social

In this live, hybrid festival, artists and creative technologists explore embodiment, touch and presence—through movement, XR, MR, AI and machine learning.

riversidestudios.co.uk/ootfest25/

What's On | Open Online Theatre Intersections of performing arts, technology and multiple realities discussing future potentials and challenges of new and hybrid forms.

Our live hybrid performance festival #OOTFest25 celebrates innovation in technology and the arts.

📆 5-8 June

Events will be live streamed and we hope our friends around the world will join us for these cutting-edge performances and expert-led panel discussions.

openonlinetheatre.org/whats-on/

Joumana Mourad on Riverside Drive 21 May 2025 Joumana joined Ian Barclay on Drive to talk about the Open Online Theatre Festival 2025 at Riverside Studios.

Our Artistic Director Joumana Mourad recently spoke to Riverside Radio about our upcoming live hybrid festival #OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN.

Check out the interview below and find out more about the festival and innovation in contemporary dance.

on.soundcloud.com/ny4Ge8ecqYXU... #DigitalDance #DigitalArt

A tall man in jumper and pale trousers writes in a notebook. Two female dancers in motion capture suits stand in a green screen space.

A tall man in jumper and pale trousers writes in a notebook. Two female dancers in motion capture suits stand in a green screen space.

A tall man in jumper and pale trousers writes in a notebook. Two female dancers in motion capture suits stand in a green screen space.

We've been working behind the scenes today with #OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN artist Pierre Engelhard, as he prepares his performance piece Terms and Conditions.

You can watch this piece, which reflects on the aesthetics of surveillance, at the festival on Sat 7 June: riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/o...

OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN - Riverside Studios Welcome to OOTFest25 (UN)SEEN – a future-facing festival of live hybrid performance presented by IJAD Dance.When: From 5–8 June 2025Opening Night: 5 June 2025 at 6 pm.Where: Riverside Studios and Open...

Book tickets for each night - or both! You can join us in person @riversidelondon.bsky.social or online via Open Online Theatre.

Book in person: riversidestudios.co.uk/ootfest25/
Book live stream: openonlinetheatre.org/whats-on/

#DigitalDance #DigitalArts #ImmersiveArts

Zhou Zhou headshot

Resonant Silence performance with two dancers

Resonant Silence is an immersive performance exploring the interplay between sound & movement, where bodily gestures & sonic expressions merge in a purely embodied interaction.

Zhou Zhou is a joint PhD researcher at the University of the Arts London (UAL) & London Contemporary Dance School (LCDS).