Image © AURORA, 2025
Summer Sessions: AI in the Independent Performing Arts in cooperation with Berlin Performing Arts Program
July 16–19, all day, HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
Everyone is talking about AI and XR, but you’re still not really sure which tools could be interesting for your work in the independent performing arts? Are you asking yourself how you could use AI to make the organization work surrounding your projects and artistic work as a freelancer easier and where it is better to use them only lightly? Have you already heard of Unity, Gemini and other applications but you still haven’t really tried them out?
In the Summer Sessions PAP meets IUNO: AI and XR in the Independent Performing Arts, the Berlin Performing Arts Program and IUNO – the Innovation Center for Intelligent and Immersive Technologiesin the Independent Arts Community join forces and offer help: for four days, a variety of workshops and rounds of discussion will provide insight into the use of AI and XR in art, production, distribution and artistic freelance work.
IUNO will provide practice-oriented yet experimental workshops about immersive technologies (XR for short, like, for example, virtual reality) and artificial intelligence, for example, the use of the software Unity, which can be used to create and perform in virtual and hybrid 3D worlds, for the development and integration of avatars in XR environments as well as about various motion capture methods that do not require professional suits and are more easily accessible. The Performing Arts Program will use workshops and rounds of discussion to look at how AI tools can provide support in application processes as well as in budgeting and project accounting and how they can be used in communication, distribution and research. The schedule of events will be rounded out by rounds of discussion about ethical and legal questions that can come up with the use of AI tools.
The workshops are not sequential; they can be booked individually or together. The events will take place in English or German spoken language.
PAP – Berlin Performing Arts Program:
The Berlin Performing Arts Program serves all independent dance and theater makers in Berlin and is dedicated to the situation and needs of the community. Since 2013, we have been working toward the professionalization, strengthening of the infrastructure and improved visibility of the independent performing arts in Berlin.
IUNO – Innovationszentrum für intelligente und immersive Technologien in der Freien Kulturszene:
The EU-funded IUNO – Innovation Center for Intelligent and Immersive Technologies in the Independent Arts Community at HTW Berlin serves the independent arts community and creative industries of Berlin with tailor-made opportunities in extended reality (XR) and artificial intelligence (AI). With workshops, artistic fellowships and events, IUNO strengthens forward-looking competencies, supports exchange and networking and produces innovative artistic formats with XR as contribution to the societal AI discourse.
All formats are free of charge thanks to ERDF funding under the »Strengthening Innovation Potential in Culture III« (INP-III)* program, as well as funding from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)** and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.
Programm
16. July 2026 | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm | HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
Mit Christoph Holtmann, Programmierer, wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter im Projekt IUNO, HTW Berlin
Du interessierst dich für Kunst- und Kulturformate in Kombination mit Augmented, Mixed und Virtual Reality (kurz XR) – oder bist einfach neugierig, wie XR-Anwendungen technologisch entwickelt werden? In diesem IUNO-Workshop führt dich Christoph durch erste Schritte in der Software Unity, mit der sich virtuelle und hybride 3D-Welten erstellen und bespielen lassen.
Auf einen Theorieteil folgen erste Schritte und Experimente mit interaktiven 3D-Modellen im Unity-Editor am eigenen Computer.
Zur Vorbereitung installiere bitte mithilfe des IUNO-Tutorials #01 die gratis Software Unity auf deinem eigenen Laptop, öffne die Software schon einmal zu Hause und bringe deinen Computer zum Workshop mit. Solltest du Probleme bei der Installation oder Öffnung haben, unterstützen wir dich gerne – schreib einfach bis zum 15. Juli eine kurze E-Mail an: hi-iuno@htw-berlin.de.
In deutscher Lautsprache
16. July 2026 | 2:30 – 6:30 pm | HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
With Carsten Wagner (website developer and programmer)
Many self-employed people spend a lot of time on organization, communication, and administration—often using tools they’re already familiar with (email, Word, Excel, Google). This seminar introduces a practical, four-step process in which detailed input is processed with the help of a suitable AI assistant and integrated into your own workflow to ultimately generate a desired result, such as an email, a spreadsheet, etc.
Participants will practice using AI through a continuous example—from a phone call to taking meeting notes, sending follow-up emails, and archiving contacts—without any programming, with a focus on practical application and take-home materials. The seminar also covers suitable app and Office solutions for recurring tasks and offers practical tips for staying cautious regarding data protection.
The workshop is aimed at solo self-employed individuals and GbRs in the independent performing arts—with or without prior experience using AI tools. No programming knowledge is required. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet with Wi-Fi and access to text/spreadsheet tools, as well as a browser-based AI (e.g., ChatGPT or Claude).
In German language.
17. July 2026 | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm | HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
With Dagmar Schürrer (digital artist, artistic project collaborator on the IUNO project, HTW Berlin)
Imagine communicating in real time with your digital twin—in a virtual 3D world such as virtual reality. This IUNO workshop will show you how! We’ll start with a theoretical introduction, then create a digital twin of ourselves and connect it to a large language model (such as ChatGPT) using the Unity software. In the workshop, we’ll use plugins that require no programming knowledge to gain a basic understanding of how to set up socially interactive agents in extended reality environments.
To prepare, please use the IUNO Tutorial #01 to install the free Unity software on your own laptop, open the software at home beforehand, and bring your computer to the workshop. If you have any problems with the installation or opening the software, we’ll be happy to help—just send a short email by July 15 to: hi-iuno@htw-berlin.de.
Some prior knowledge of Unity—for example, from the »XR Development with Unity« workshop on July 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.—is helpful but not required.
In English language.
17. July 2026 | 2:30 – 6:30 pm | HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
With Dagmar Schürrer (digital artist, artistic project collaborator on the IUNO project, HTW Berlin)
Artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify artistic processes and make them more affordable for artists and cultural practitioners—motion tracking, for example. This technology is used to capture body movements and transfer them to 3D avatars, among other applications. This IUNO workshop begins with an overview of various motion-capture methods and their application in an artistic context. We will then experiment with AI-driven apps and video-based tools to capture movements and transfer them to avatars in Unity.
Through a hands-on approach, we’ll explore both the possibilities and limitations of these easily accessible and promising methods compared to professional motion-capture suits. To prepare, please install the free Unity software on your own laptop using the IUNO Tutorial #01, open the software at home beforehand, and bring your computer to the workshop.
If you encounter any problems with the installation or opening the software, we’ll be happy to assist you—just send a brief email by July 15, 2026, to: hi-iuno@htw-berlin.de.
For the second half of the workshop, some prior knowledge of Unity—for example, from the “XR Development with Unity” workshop on July 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.—is helpful but not required.
In English language.
18. July 2026 | 9:30 am – 3:30 pm | HTW Berlin – Campus Wilhelminenhof, Wilhelminenhofstraße 75A, 12459 Berlin:
With Anja Demidova (theater director, cultural manager, lecturer)
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming work in the cultural sector, presenting challenges and risks, but also offering countless opportunities. In this workshop, we’ll explore how artists and cultural professionals can use AI tools for the often-invisible organizational work behind artistic practice. At the same time, we’ll critically reflect on ethical issues and practical pitfalls: for example, grant proposals generated by AI often seem interchangeable and repetitive or contain obvious errors, which costs both juries and applicants time and opportunities.
Participants will learn about practical AI tools and experiment with methods for using them effectively and responsibly. Together, we’ll develop strategies for how AI can actually save time and enrich processes without compromising originality and authenticity. We’ll explore how AI can support grant applications, project proposals, and administrative tasks, as well as streamline communication, budgeting, and accounting, and facilitate research and information organization.
We compare various AI tools and automated systems to determine which ones actually meet individual needs. To this end, we’re experimenting with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other AI-based systems, among others. The goal is to view AI not as a threat, but as a “super assistant”—a tool that can support creativity and efficiency.
In English language; Q&A available in German and Russian