Cross Over Contest winner premiers on stage

© Het Nieuwstedelijk

Imagine letters printed in rain falling from the ceiling to the stage floor, where each drop is a pixel which forms a word only visible for a few seconds. That's what the 'digital theatrical rain printer' did in its premier in OPEK, Leuven. Performing arts and technology meet each other in this cooperation between Nieuwstedelijk and KU Leuven's e-Media Research Lab. By building a machine which combines the characteristics of a regular rain machine and a printer, the machine literally makes it rain words.

"This clear cross over between creativity and technology is an ambitious project with a clear return for both partners. It also shows that high-tech and creativity can create beautiful projects", the judges mentioned last year when they announced the rain printer as one of the winners of the Cross Over Contest by Leuven MindGate.

Stijn Devillé from Nieuwstedelijk was grateful for the prize. "Without the Leuven MindGate network, I would have never even begun with this type of cross over. I'm very happy to have met such an enthusiastic partner as Luc Geurts from KU Leuven. The project also shows that technology is much more than just mathematics and funtionality; it is also capable to move and affect people emotionally."

© Het Nieuwstedelijk

Gesprek Met De Regen is a play about a man and woman who tragically lose their daughter. The day after, the woman, played by Sara Vertongen, receives an offer to go work in Singapore as the CEO of a big tech company. The couple chooses life. They leave everything behind and move to Asia. While the woman spends days inside the lab, her husband, played by Tom Van Bouwel, goes for long walks through the monsoon rains. He seems to recognize his daughter in the raindrops and feels that he can talk to her. It gives him serenity and he decides to bring his wife along.

There are still many opportunities to watch this play. Click here for more info (in Dutch).