A pioneering performance simulation facility pushes technology further than ever before at the Royal College of Music, as an innovative new space combines state-of-the-art acoustic technology with the visual graphics engines that drive the latest video games. The unique Performance Laboratory will be used to support the training of performers, leaders and entrepreneurs, and will soon be available for commercial hire.
The Royal College of Music’s Performance Studio has been transformed into an immersive laboratory, with full height screens and a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound Constellation system incorporating dozens of speakers installed into the walls and ceiling. The pioneering Meyer Sound technology gives users the ability to transform the acoustic to emulate other spaces or create entirely new acoustics. This is paired with immersive images of these spaces, driven by Unreal Engine software, and includes models of the RCM’s own exemplary venues.
Together, these innovative technologies provide an unparalleled opportunity to simulate performance experiences under pressure. By changing the size and reactions of the audience, triggering disruptions and disturbances, or setting up an intimidating panel to face, users can hone their craft by experimenting with performance and delivery under varying conditions.
Funded by a generous grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and World Class Laboratories Fund (WCL), this major investment reflects the RCM’s position as a world-leader in performance science.
Continuing current partnerships and fostering new ones, the RCM will use the Performance Laboratory to advance performance research across not only the arts, but also business, sport, medicine and education. Since 2014 the College has offered performance coaching through the Imperial College Business School, and its distinctive ‘Thriving in Radical Uncertainty’ training for the United Nations Development Programme is being expanded to form a new partnership making full use of the new laboratory.
The Performance Lab will soon be available for hire, with training packages available. For more information, contact venuehire@rcm.ac.uk or laboratory@rcm.ac.uk.