REsearch
Stepping inside a story
This artistic research explores what happens when audiences are invited to step inside a performance instead of watching it from a seat. Over the past years, Didi Kreike and RELNACHT, never worked with seated audiences. Instead, we build walk-through environments. Performance spaces that feel like their own small universe. People can move freely, choose their own path, and decide how close or far they want to be from what is happening.
ONLY PARTICIPANTS
In these kinds of mini-universes, spectators are not just viewers. They become active participants. They can approach a scene, circle around it, leave and come back, or take a step back if they need distance. This choice doesn’t only happen in a physical way; it also happens on a moral and emotional level. Being able to move freely lets people decide how much they want to engage with a moment, an image, or a difficult theme. Their movement becomes part of the experience. For example, in our recent prototype Safety Sirens (2025) participants are invited to enter ‘Club Oblivion’. A fictional club that intertwines with the storytelling, but made tangible by choosing the right location to present this work.
Immersed Engeneering
“Walk inside”
This method changes how we think about storytelling. Instead of presenting a scene on a stage in front of people, we create a whole space that people can explore. The surroundings - light, sound, objects, and the floor plan of the space - guide attention and shape feelings, just as much as the performers do. The performance becomes a place to “walk inside”, rather than a show to sit and watch.
Working this way also has a big impact on how we produce the work. Designing a world that people can enter requires building spaces that are open and inviting, while still supporting strong artistic ideas. Internally, our team works closely across many fields: spatial design, performance, sound, and technical production. Externally, we often collaborate with partners who understand the special needs of these projects. For example: venues that allow people to move freely, flexible scheduling, and unique technical setups.
Our research explores how this approach creates a different kind of connection between performers and audiences. When people can choose where to stand and how to engage, they become more aware of their own role in the experience, story and themes. Our goal is to understand how giving audiences freedom of movement and emotions can lead to performances that are more personal, more reflective, and more alive.