OPEN CALL – CCL at Royal Ballet and Opera
Feb 25 to Mar 31, 2026
12:00 to 11:59 pm GMT
When: 30th May – 7th June 2026 (arrive 29th May for Meet & Greet in the evening)
Location: Royal Ballet and Opera, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD
Application Deadline 31/03/2026
Application Form: https://forms.gle/9BuNrkcZS8Vmf2nh7
Application Guideline: Download from here
Outcome notification: 10/04/2026
Are you an artist, researcher, or creative practitioner working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and performance? If so, apply to join an intensive week-long Choreographic Coding Lab (CCL) embedded within the Royal Ballet and Opera during the RBO/SHIFT Festival, alongside other creatives, technologists, and practitioners exploring AI in performance contexts.
What is the CCL?
This isn't a traditional residency or exhibition, it's an open, interdisciplinary research laboratory integrating the elements of “Opera” and its diverse creative practices. We will gather to discuss and develop projects, ideas, and questions in a peer-to-peer setting, while being embedded within various departments of the Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO). The Choreographic Coding Lab (CCL) format brings together people working creatively at the intersection of performing arts and emergent technologies by creating a space where computational and choreographic thinking can connect and interact. It fosters broad interdisciplinary collaboration and allows participants to develop an expanded understanding of choreography as a powerful relational and embodied framework that facilitates alternative modes of engaging with technology beyond the usual space of common digital “best practice”. You'll have unique access to one of the world's leading cultural institutions, engaging with everything from costumes and archives to technical production.
This CCL will be facilitated by Anton Koch (Motion Bank), Marlon Barrios Solano (University of Florida), Daniel Bisig (Zurich University of the Arts), and AΦE/A+E Lab.
There is no fee for participation. Applicants are asked to propose starting points, questions, or projects via the online application and bring their equipment if needed.
What We Provide
･ Catering, daily vouchers for meals at the RBO canteen
･ Dedicated workspace in an inspiring, centrally located space within the building
･ Free access to the complete RBO/SHIFT Festival (4th-7th June 2026), including Friday's industry conference
･ Departmental embedding. An opportunity to observe the work at the RBO across various departments
･ Facilitator support throughout the week from Marlon Barrios Solano (University of Florida), Daniel Bisig (Zurich University of the Arts, and Motion Bank) and Anton Koch (Senior Research Software Engineer, Motion Bank)
･ Platform for your work in the Linbury Theatre for public sharing on 7th June as part of RBO/SHIFT Festival programme
In addition to the above, we have 5 places available for subsidised accommodation near the Royal Ballet and Opera for the duration of the CCL (29 May - 7 June 2026). You can specify this in the application if you would like to be considered for the subsidised accommodation. Please note that travel to and from London is not covered.
Schedule
Friday 29 May: Meet and Greet in the evening at the RBO
Saturday 30 May – Sunday 31 May: Intensive collaborative lab work (participants only)
Monday 1 – Wednesday 3 June: Lab work + embedded observation with RBO departments
Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 June: Lab work + RBO/SHIFT Festival attendance - showcases and industry conference
Sunday 7 June: Public sharing event with facilitated guided tours (Set up will be on Sunday morning. Event will run until 18:00 (TBC), please plan to stay until this time)
The Public Sharing
Unlike traditional exhibitions, our Sunday sharing will feature curated guided tours through participants' workstations: a walk/think tank designed to spark meaningful dialogue between artists, researchers, and diverse audiences (families, general public, professionals).
The tours will be facilitated to emphasise the human behind each AI work: the artistry, the emotional drive, the curiosity, and the creative needs that compel exploration of these technologies. Each tour will have a beginning, middle, and end, with facilitated discussions and a final round-up, ensuring audiences leave with a deeper understanding of AI in performance through lived experience and conversation.
For the public sharing, we encourage participants to consider how their outcome, or a specific part of it, can be presented in a way that invites direct engagement and playful curiosity from a wide range of audiences. This public sharing will be for all ages and open to families, children and young people.
Who Should Apply
･ We welcome applications from creative technologists who are:
･ Working with AI and has an interest in embedding in performance contexts (ballet, opera, stage set, costume etc.)
･ Interested in collaborative, peer-to-peer learning and exchange
･ Committed to foregrounding human creativity, emotion, and artistry in AI-enhanced work
･ Eager to engage meaningfully with RBO institutional processes and its diverse audiences
･ Ready to work intensively and generously with others
In your application, please indicate which potential RBO department(s) you'd be most interested in observing and why (options include but are not limited to: Ballet Company, Collections (and Archive), Digital Products, Environment and Sustainability, Music Library, Opera Company, Orchestra, Royal Opera Chorus, Production and Costume, Stage (Build, Flys), Sound, Video & Broadcast, Costume (Wigs, Hair & Make-Up, Footwear, Workrooms (Revivals, Men's, Ladies), Dye Shop, Hats & Jewellery, Armoury, Props, Scenic Draughting). We will do our best to facilitate meaningful connections based on your interests, though we cannot guarantee specific departmental pairings.
Application Requirements
･ Please submit via the online form. Questions includes:
･ Brief bio and artistic/research practice overview
･ Description of your proposed project, idea, or starting point for exploration
･ Which RBO department(s) interest you and why
･ What do you hope to gain from this collaborative experience
･ Equipment you'll be bringing
･ Portfolio links (website, video, documentation)
･ Must be available for all the dates
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This CCL is part of RBO/SHIFT Festival at the Royal Ballet and Opera, co-facilitated by Motion Bank @Hochschule Mainz University of Applied Sciences and AΦE/A+E Lab in partnership with the Royal Ballet and Opera.
For questions, contact: hello@aoiesteban.com
Find out more about CCL: Website | CCL 2025 at A+E Lab
About Royal Ballet and Opera
The Royal Ballet and Opera is the UK’s home of world-class ballet and opera, uniting The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera under one cultural powerhouse. Based at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, with additional production sites in Thurrock and Aberdare, it reaches live audiences in two theatres and worldwide through streaming, cinema seasons and international tours. Supported by more than 3,000 staff, creatives and freelancers, the organisation champions artistic excellence, education and accessibility, inspiring new audiences while nurturing the next generation of talent.
More about Royal Ballet and Opera: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
About Motion Bank
Motion Bank, based in Mainz, is an international research initiative originally initiated by The Forsythe Company to explore new ways of documenting and understanding choreography. Now a research group at Hochschule Mainz - University of Applied Sciences, it uniquely links dance studies, software development and design within a university context. Bringing together artists, designers and technologists, it creates digital scores and online tools that translate movement into rich visual and data-based forms. Motion Bank supports choreographic innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing, advancing digital dance research and education across Europe and beyond.
More about Motion Bank: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
About A+E Lab
A+E Lab is a cultural and technology hub in the Historic Dockyard Chatham, Medway, curated and led by XR dance company AΦE. Supported by the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries - University of Kent (iCCi) and Visual Elements, it develops ambitious programmes that fuse art and emerging technologies, from XR, AI to new media and digital performance. The lab serves as a space for unique artistic experiences, a platform for artists, researchers and technologists to collaborate, and a home for AΦE’s innovative productions. Its mission is to democratise access to digital tools, skills and cultural opportunities for local communities and creative practitioners.
More about A+E Lab: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn