PROSPERO – EXTENDED THEATRE

Intention and Vision

Conceived in a contemporary context marked by recurrent crises and the urgent need to reaffirm Europe’s cultural relevance, Prospero Extended Theatre sought to demonstrate that art and culture are vital engines for creativity, exchange and social cohesion. The partners shared a core belief: theatre remains a unique democratic arena, capable of generating direct human encounters, fostering critical thinking and building bridges between communities.

With the support of the Creative Europe Programme, and strengthened by increased visibility at the European level, the partners committed to advancing collective research on theatre, media and creation—examining their evolution, modernisation and potential for digital transformation.

Objectives and Consortium

Running from 2020 to 2025, the project brought together ten partners (nine public theatres and one media partner, ARTE) from nine EU countries. Their shared ambition was to redesign the production, circulation and accessibility of theatrical works, in theatres and online, notably through the project’s streaming platform www.prospero-theatre.tv.

Prospero Extended Theatre had three core objectives, all of which were fully achieved:

  1. To contribute to a more inclusive and diversified European theatre creation, closely connected to contemporary societal issues.
  2. To broaden the dissemination of theatrical works across Europe and through a shared digital space, reaching new and diverse audiences.
  3. To promote the exchange of good practices in audience development, supported by data-informed methodologies and ethical standards.

Achievements (2020–2025)

Artistic Creation and Transnational Touring

The project supported the creation of nine new European co-productions, directed by major figures of contemporary theatre. These works toured to 26 cities across Europe, reaching tens of thousands of spectators and strengthening artistic mobility and intercultural exchange. All productions were professionally recorded to ensure long-term accessibility.

Digital Innovation: PROSPERO – THEATRE.TV

Launched in October 2022, PROSPERO.TV (www.prosperonew.tv) is the first pan-European streaming platform dedicated solely to theatre.
It offers:

  • free access to high-quality recordings, documentaries and interviews,
  • content subtitled into up to nine languages,
  • shared editorial and technical standards for filming and subtitling.

Recognised as a best practice by the European Commission, the platform remains online and active beyond the project’s end.

Research on Authors’ Rights and Digital Dissemination

In partnership with the European Theatre Convention, the project produced a Practical Guide on Authors’ Rights, addressing the legal complexities of digital broadcasting, neighbouring rights, and cross-border streaming. This publication is now a sector-wide reference.

Audience Development and Data Literacy

Ten European workshops (Brussels, Bologna, Warsaw, Lisbon, Göteborg, Berlin, Zagreb, Madrid, Paris, Liège) gathered over 150 professionals to exchange practices on inclusion, accessibility, education, sustainability, diversity and internationalisation.
The project also created the open-access platform Audience Data & Performing Arts, developed with TMNlab, offering tools and training for ethical, GDPR-compliant audience analysis.

A Lasting European Legacy

Prospero Extended Theatre has fully implemented—and in many cases surpassed—its initial objectives. It leaves behind:

  • a consolidated European network of theatres and cultural professionals,
  • a catalogue of internationally touring productions with long-term digital access,
  • innovative tools for data-driven audience development,
  • shared methodologies for production, streaming and rights management,
  • and a model of cooperation that directly inspired the next phase: Prospero NEW – New European Wave (2025–2028).

What began as a cooperation project has evolved into a genuine European ecosystem—an enduring infrastructure for artistic mobility, innovation and cultural dialogue across the continent.

The project partners:

  1. Théâtre de Liège (lead partner – Belgique) supported by Wallonia-Brussels International
  2. Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione (Modena– Italia)
  3. São Luiz Teatro Municipal (Lisboa – Portugal)
  4. Göteborgs Stadsteater (Göteborg – Sverige)
  5. Hrvatsko narodno kazalište u Zagrebu (Zagreb – Hrvatska)
  6. Teatros del Canal – Comunidad de Madrid (España)
  7. Schaubühne Berlin (Deutschland)
  8. Teatr Powszechny (Warszawa – Polska)
  9. Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe (Paris – France)
  10. ARTE

Our three work clusters

1. Prospero Coproductions

Prospero Extended Theatre supported the creation of nine new European theatre productions, each initiated by one partner theatre and developed collectively within the consortium. The selection of these works reflected shared artistic priorities, including:

  • the excellence and originality of authors, directors and performers, whether emerging or established;
  • strong dramaturgical and scenic research, including new writing, innovative rehearsal methods and, in some cases, digital experimentation;
  • the contemporary relevance of the themes explored;
  • a consistent attention to current aesthetic, social and political questions.

Between 2021 and 2024, each production premiered at its lead partner’s venue before touring within the network. Altogether, the nine works travelled to 26 European cities, resulting in 79 international performances beyond their premieres. These tours strengthened artistic mobility across the continent and contributed to a richer, more diverse circulation of contemporary theatre.

All productions were professionally recorded and subtitled according to shared standards, and made accessible on the project’s online platform PROSPERO.TV, ensuring long-term visibility for artists and audiences alike.

2. Platform and Digital Content

Prospero Extended Theatre developed and launched PROSPERO – THEATRE.TV, the first pan-European OTT platform dedicated entirely to contemporary theatre. Accessible across the European Union and beyond, the platform became a central pillar of the project’s digital strategy, offering free, multilingual access to high-quality theatre content.

Over the course of the project, the partners produced and uploaded the professional recordings of all nine co-productions, each subtitled in up to nine languages (the partners’ languages plus English). These recordings established shared technical and editorial standards for filming, sound, subtitling and digital broadcasting, now recognised as a reference within the sector.

In addition to the full-length productions, the project generated a rich ecosystem of complementary digital content, including interviews, backstage features, rehearsal footage, costume and scenography insights, trailers, and short documentaries. All additional materials were made available with English subtitles, broadening access for international audiences.

Together, these resources significantly expanded the reach of contemporary European theatre, enabling new audiences—particularly those less familiar with the performing arts—to discover creative processes, artistic practices and thematic investigations through a dynamic digital environment.

3. Audience Development

Prospero Extended Theatre implemented an ambitious, collaborative programme dedicated to audience development across Europe. Between 2021 and 2024, the partners organised ten thematic workshops in eight different cities, bringing together communication teams, educators, artists and audience professionals. These sessions enabled participants to share methodologies, compare practices and explore key issues such as accessibility, inclusion, sustainability, representation, education, data literacy and international audience engagement. Each workshop contributed to a shared European toolkit of knowledge and approaches.

In parallel, the project conducted extensive audience research based on GDPR-compliant data analysis. This work led to the creation of the Audience Data & Performing Arts platform, developed with TMNlab, which provides cultural organisations with a modular self-training path, practical tools and ethical guidelines for analysing and interpreting audience behaviour. This resource continues to support theatres across Europe in developing informed, responsible and inclusive audience strategies.