CoSTAR Live Lab Presents: Dr Mike Richardson | Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony of Audiences | 20 May 2026

If you'd like to revisit the talk, you can watch the recording on the CoSTAR Youtube Channel.

Dr Mike Richardson, a Research Associate in the CREATE Lab, Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, and an honorary researcher in the School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol. For the last 4 years, he has worked in the Audience Understanding team on the MyWorld Project, a large-scale UKRI-funded collaboration between academia and industry in the West of England that explores the future of creative technology and performance. Mike’s research sits at the intersection of experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and human-computer interaction, investigating audience experiences of performance and immersion. You can connect with Mike on his LinkedIn page.

In this talk, Mike discussed three projects using heart rate and motion detection methods to explore: A live-streamed major theatre production of ‘Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead’ (in partnership with Bristol Old Vic and Complicité); a live jazz and classical lunchtime concert (in partnership with St George’s Bristol); and, an interactive musical virtual reality performance (in partnership with Aardman Animations and Tom Morris Productions). The results of these studies demonstrate how innovative experimental techniques can inform and compliment creative productions and gain a deeper understanding of audience experience.

CoSTAR Live Lab is an innovative R&D facility based at Production Park near Wakefield. Live Lab is part of the £75m government-funded CoSTAR Network, and supports innovation in immersive, multisensory and interactive technologies to transform audience experience, shaping next-generation live experiences for screen, stage and into the metaverse.