In focus: Interactivity
Interactivity is often seen as a key feature of immersive and multisensory experiences, and it can take many forms. Audiences may engage through physical movements such as gestures, eye-movement, speech, touch or full-body motion, through social interactions with other participants, live performers or virtual avatars, or via technologies including controllers, sensors, wearables and smartphones. The environment itself can also become interactive, with sound, light, vibration or objects responding dynamically to audience presence. These interactions can occur at different levels, ranging from subtle ambient feedback (such as lighting, sound or vibration that responds to movement) to collective audience-wide participation, and to branching narrative choices that alter the story. Ideally, interactivity shifts audiences from passive spectators to active co-creators. However, inclusion remains essential: not everyone desires or enjoys the same degree of interactivity; experiences should offer multiple pathways that are both accessible and adaptable.
Case study: Brainstorms
An interesting example of the creative engagement with internal bodily signals is the Brainstorms: A Great Gig in the Sky (2024) installation, produced by Pollen and curated at London's Frameless gallery. The experience visualises the audience's real-time brainwave data while listening to Pink Floyd through the use of EEG caps that measure their neural activity. This experience allowed people to view creative projections of their brain's real-time reactions to the music as shifting aurora-like skies, star murmurations or glowing neural clouds. Audiences reported feelings of emotional connection with their brainwaves and a sense of self-awareness136.