The challenge
Performance is a complex puzzle. It is shaped by countless decisions and actions, influenced by unique environments, and judged by the subjective tastes and perceptions of those who witness it. What audiences see is often just the tip of the iceberg, and even the performers themselves may not fully realise everything they are doing or the effects they are having. Studying performance can be difficult as it is not always clear what is worth measuring and the very act of observing it can sometimes change the performance itself.
Our approach
The CPS is redefining how performance is understood. To do this, we are using cutting-edge tools and techniques to Capture the physical, mental, emotional, and environmental features of performance where it happens, to Analyse the data in ways that reveal a performer’s hidden potential, to understand how audiences and performers Evaluate those performances and determine what is ‘good’, and to develop new methods of Communicating this knowledge to help drive how performance is practised, taught, and shared.
Our approaches to Capturing Performance are as varied as performance itself. We measure performers’ bodies using wearable devices that track their heartrate, breath, or eye movement. We examine their movements through state-of-the-art motion capture systems by observing them live or in recordings. We quantify their thoughts by asking them to respond to questionnaires, or we delve into the complexity of their experience through interviews and focus groups. We ask expert judges to isolate and assess aspects of performance as they do in their practice. Crucially, we always aim measure performances where they happen, either in real-world environments or by recreating them in simulations and experimental settings.
With data in hand, we then turn to Analysing Performance. Working with colleagues across the sciences and leveraging the latest developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence, we help develop new methods of extracting meaningful insights from the complexity of performance. This has included identifying markers of performance stress out of a heartbeat or using AI to understand how a violinist’s arm movements contribute to the musical effects they create.
Performances are often judged by people; therefore, to understand performance fully we must also understand how the act of Evaluating Performance is carried out. Here, we compare the subjective decisions made by human judges with the objective measurements of technology, or how performers’ assessments of themselves compare with those of others. We consider the skills of the evaluator and how they can be honed to create assessments that are more reliable and feedback that is more impactful. We measure the performance of an evaluation in different contexts to see what elements are consciously and unconsciously affecting how performances are rated and ranked.
Finally, all of this effort risks going to waste if we do not develop effective ways of Communicating Performance. We develop software that translates captured data into visualisations that a performer can use to improve their own or their students’ craft. We design models of and guides to effective practising that enable people to learn more efficiently based on what we have studied. We help performers communicate with each other within their physical environments or across technology-bridged distances. We bring together performers across radically different specialities and help them communicate and discover the parallels across their worlds, generating new insights into their own practice.