'PRIMAL FUTURE'

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'an extraordinary dance and digital art crossover – projected onto the iconic Nottingham Council House at Old Market Square'

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Commissioned by Nottingham City Council for Light Night 2023
In collaboration with Tom Dale Company

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Primal Future transformed Nottingham’s iconic Council House into a living, breathing canvas — merging contemporary dance, digital art, and architectural projection in a powerful public experience. Created by Vent Media in collaboration with Tom Dale Company, this large-scale projection mapped performance explored the dynamic relationship between technology, the body, and our shared civic spaces.

At the heart of the piece was a celebration of community and collaboration. 

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Choreographed by Tom Dale, the performance featured professional dancers alongside a diverse group of local Nottingham residents, whose motion-captured movements were seamlessly woven into the digital visuals. Their contributions added a vital, human texture to the architectural façade — a blending of professional artistry with authentic, everyday expression.

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Technical Process & Tools:

• Notch was used to create real-time generative content, incorporating motion capture data from dancers to shape abstract forms, movement trails, and reactive visual textures.

• The Council House itself was digitally reconstructed using a 3D model built by Vent Media, derived from an original scan of the building. This model formed the basis for both the content creation and the precision projection mapping process.

• Disguise was used to map and deliver content across the complex surface of the building with pinpoint accuracy — synchronising the visuals with sound and choreography for a seamless, immersive effect.

• The installation was driven by an original electronic score composed by Felix Morgan, whose sonic landscape pulsed in time with the visuals and reinforced the rhythmic, primal energy of the piece.
   

Commissioned for Light Night Nottingham by Nottingham City Council, and supported by Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham, and Arts Council England, Primal Future redefined how audiences engage with urban space — transforming the historic heart of the city into a vibrant site of motion, memory, and imagination.

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