After two years of research and development, academic publisher Routledge (in partnership with Digital Theatre) announced the launch of the Routledge Performance Archive, which gives digital access via subscription by university libraries to an unprecedented range of audio-visual material. Digital Theatre reports that the online library spans 50 years and includes documented work from famous theater practitioners like Jerzy Grotowski and Konstantin Stanislavsky. In addition to performance footage, the archive also includes interviews, master classes and documentaries, many of which have previously been unavailable to worldwide audiences.
On the Archive’s website, Digital Theatre and Routledge note that they hope to bring the service to individual classrooms and plan to update content each quarter. Expected additions to the archive include material from Victoria & Albert Museum’s National Video Archive of Performance Recordings and the British Library’s Experimental Theatre and Live Art Collection.
“Our strong commitment to our unparalleled network of scholars, teachers and practitioners has inspired us to initiate this innovative online resource for the study and practice of theatre and performance,” Routledge wrote on the website. “Future developments of the Routledge Performance Archive include critical commentaries from topic specialists (featuring selected chapters from our backlist relevant to the audio-visual content as well as specially commissioned essays on subjects and practitioners) and links to key journals promotions.”
Digital Theatre works with some of Britain’s top theater companies to bring live performances to the screen. With the help of high-definition technology and multiple camera angles, Digital Theatre presents a wide array of productions available to rent or download online.
