Live LAB
The Future of Live Performance Starts Here
CoSTAR Live Lab is where the UK’s most ambitious creators and technologists redefine what’s possible on stage, screen, and beyond. Based at Production Park, Europe's premier campus for live performance innovation, we provide the world-class R&D infrastructure to turn "impossible" ideas into immersive, multi-sensory realities.
Who we are
CoSTAR Live Lab is a pioneering research and development hub led by the University of York in a strategic partnership with Production Park. We are part of the £75.6m CoSTAR Network, dedicated to the future of live performance and immersive media. By uniting world-class academic research with the state-of-the-art production facilities at Production Park, we bridge the gap between creative theory and real-world execution.
What we do
We help accelerate the next generation of convergent technologies—including spatial audio, virtual production, and interactive design—that redefine how audiences and performers connect. Our mission is to ensure the UK’s creative industries remain at the cutting edge of global innovation by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and funding needed to transform "impossible" ideas into commercial realities.
What we offer
CoSTAR Live Lab at Production Park
The Lab's facilities feature dedicated spaces for advancing live performance systems and user experience across screen, stage, and the metaverse.
CoSTAR Live Lab Presents a Networked Musical Performance with Marnie Glum
Explore our latest landmark tech trial featuring real-time motion capture and networked audio, and find out how you could secure £50k to fund your own intelligent venue prototype.
CoSTAR Live Lab's feature in APM's 'Project On Location' series
Project On Location goes behind the scenes at CoSTAR Live Lab, where world-class artists, researchers and innovators are shaping the future of live production.
CoSTAR Live Lab: From Stage to Stream
Live Lab hosted a "From Stage to Stream" workshop, diving into the future of spatial audio for live performance. It was a fantastic day of collaboration, innovation, and discussion.
CoSTAR Live Lab Workshop: Immersive Storytelling and Technical Workflows in Stereoscopic Filmmaking
This workshop explores the process of creating an immersive film experience with the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera, from development and financing through to pre-production, production and post-production.
From XR Walking Tours to Unreal MetaHumans: Inside Xtra Reality’s CoSTAR Ideate Residency
Xtra Reality create memorable, story-led experiences that blend live performance with spatial technology. During their CoSTAR Ideate residency at CoSTAR Live Lab, Xtra Reality tested different approaches to producing mixed-reality content. In doing so, they established guidelines for when to use a volumetric capture or motion capture, exploring the creative and practical benefits this could unlock.
Live Music Meets Markerless Mocap: Inside Copper Candle’s Breakthrough Workflow
Copper Candle are breaking the boundaries of immersive live entertainment. Through the CoSTAR Pilots and Prototypes Programme, they set out to discover the best workflows for bringing musicians’ performances into digital environments, without heavy technical intervention.
Partners
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Meet the Team
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