AI as a partner in the performing arts

Marijke: “AI has already been used extensively in recent years. Great examples include projects like Pulse, a collaboration between Innovation:Lab and the Dutch National Ballet, where dancers generate AI visuals through motion capture. Or Urland, which had an entire script written by ChatGPT. Of course, they still make tweaks and layer programming over it, ensuring it remains a true collaboration. In these kinds of examples, AI is primarily used as a software tool. In that sense, it’s not very different from other digital techniques, like projection software.

In general, AI applications in theatre often remain stuck at the prototype phase. We have to ask ourselves: is AI a means or an end here? We don’t want to be an R&D tool for big tech companies, simply showcasing what their software can do. Instead, we need to critically assess what AI actually adds.”

“We have to ask ourselves: is AI a means or an end?”

Linda: “At the same time, as a cultural sector, we have the opportunity to show what technology can do and how AI can truly enhance the audience’s experience, as seen with Urland and Innovation:Lab. We can explore possibilities while also questioning ethical and sustainability aspects. I believe the arts, especially the performing arts, play a crucial role in this.”

Marijke: “Yes, you’re touching on something really interesting here. Ideally, we’d have AI systems designed specifically for our sector—the performing arts and the music industry. And hopefully, those models would be trained on datasets that we know, that we’ve compiled ourselves, running on local Dutch servers.

The problem right now is that we’re working with AI systems trained on datasets we don’t know, which generate enormous carbon footprints and have major business models behind them. That’s not what we, as artists, want to reflect in our work. These models also come with massive biases. For example, if you use AI to generate images based on dancers’ movements, it often produces an overly sexualized female body with large breasts. And I look at that and think: why? It’s because the model wasn’t built by the people performing the work—it’s based on 30 years of internet history. And 30 years of internet history is sexist, racist, and created by a very homogenous group.”

“Then there’s the question: should AI use always be disclosed? It depends. As long as most major AI systems rely on this, I, as a viewer, want to know if they’ve been used—because it’s not above board. But recently, I saw a concert where the musician used an AI model specifically developed for their project—one that ran locally, consumed little energy, and wasn’t tied to a big business model. In that case, I didn’t care whether AI was used or not. Knowing about it only distracted me. I don’t want to attend a concert and have the band explain which bass pedals they’re using before I can enjoy the music. I just want to feel something. That’s when AI truly becomes a tool, an extension of our artistic expression.”

“The goal is art that moves us”

This touches on the philosophical question: what is art? Can true art ever be created by AI?

Linda: “When used well, AI is a means, not an end in itself. Our goal is art that moves us. If AI fails to achieve that goal, we, as humans, won’t appreciate it. Right now, I don’t think AI generates that kind of output. That doesn’t mean that when AI is used in an artistic process, it can never give that kind of output, but I do believe that, at this moment, AI still needs a human factor to create truly soulful art. So, to put it bluntly: art has a soul, and AI, in my view, does not. I can immediately tell when someone on LinkedIn has written a blog post using AI—it’s amusing the first time, but not beyond that. AI is not a replacement for humans. It can, however, enhance our best qualities.”

Marijke adds: “AI doesn’t take over the creative process. If you believe AI can fully replace artistic creation, you’re oversimplifying how a work of art emerges from a network of communication, collaboration, and human input. AI can accelerate connections, but it cannot replace them.”

Linda and Marijke see untapped potential in using AI behind the scenes, particularly in process optimization. “The creative process is unpredictable and chaotic,” says Marijke. “AI can help by generating notes, summarizing meetings, or visualizing ideas. A designer could use it to quickly sketch out a stage design, making it easier to communicate their vision to the scenographer. There’s often this fear: ‘If you start doing this yourself without formal training, won’t you make a professional obsolete?’ But that’s nonsense. You’ll still need a scenographer. AI can simply serve as a bridge, a shared language that facilitates communication. That’s where AI holds even greater potential.”

“You shouldn’t think of AI as a shortcut”

For cultural organisations looking to integrate AI, a strategic approach is essential, Linda advises. “It’s important to focus. If you try to tackle AI, streaming, creative coding and what not all at once, it becomes unmanageable.

Choose what the tech world calls a North Star—a long-term goal—and break it down into an immediate goal (for the next three months) and an intermediate goal (for one or two years from now). If your North Star is ‘staying digitally relevant in my field,’ an intermediate goal might be ‘integrating AI into our organisation in a way that adds real value.’ Your immediate goal could be ‘reading blogs on AI, attending a workshop, and gathering relevant examples.’

Do your research and set aside time as a team to discuss AI, possibly with a facilitator. Consider what you definitely don’t want AI to do, and what you find exciting and worthwhile. That way, you can determine your first step.”

Beyond how artists use AI, there’s also the question of how policymakers, funding bodies, and the government engage with it. A major challenge in the cultural sector is the fragmentation of knowledge, Linda explains. “Due to the subsidy system, organisations must constantly prove themselves and remain unique. But innovation happens when we build on each other’s knowledge.”

Linda: “Grant applications typically require a linear plan—one that outlines everything from start to finish. But if you want to use AI in your practice, whether for artistic output or internal workflows, you need to work empirically, as we say in the agile world. You set a goal, implement an idea, evaluate whether it worked, and adjust as needed. The rigid system of predefining outcomes to ensure success doesn’t work when implementing innovation because you can’t foresee its full impact—you need room to pivot.”

“The subsidy system requires organisations to be unique. But innovation happens when we build on each other’s knowledge”

Marijke therefore advocates for an infrastructure where artists can share AI experiences. “Without knowledge-sharing, everyone keeps reinventing the wheel. Listen to the expertise within your organisation – people may already be using AI in their professional or personal lives without realizing it. AI adoption can’t be a top-down process; it requires collaboration and knowledge exchange. That’s why it’s crucial for makers to come together. Unlike some management layers, makers don’t just dwell on questions, they make things concrete with use cases: ‘I used this model in this way and tweaked it like this.’ There’s no platform for that yet, and I miss it.”

AI offers significant possibilities in the performing arts, but it’s not a solution for everything. Its value isn’t just in what happens on stage but in how it supports the creative process. Artists shouldn’t see AI as an end in itself but as a tool that enhances efficiency and innovation. At the same time, ethical considerations around topics like bias and sustainability must be part of the conversation.

“You shouldn’t see AI as a shortcut,” says Marijke. “It’s just another tool, like any other software we use in the creative process. The key difference is how we use it: does it enhance our work, or do we mindlessly accept its outputs? That nuance is crucial.” Linda adds: “We can’t embrace AI without being critical—but it would be a waste to ignore it out of fear. The key is making conscious choices and experimenting with focus.”

A thoughtful approach to AI in the performing arts requires critical thinking, knowledge-sharing, and strategic planning. By making informed decisions and collaborating, AI can strengthen the arts sector without losing the human touch…

Image by Dorien Hein