TRACTION, one of the Top Success Stories in 40 Years of EU Innovation

The Challenge

With the rise of inequality and the issue of social exclusion, many see opera as a symbol of class division in Europe. TRACTION aims to change this perception by using opera for social and cultural inclusion, making it transformative again. We do not want to make opera enjoyable for those who do not attend but aim to define new forms of artistic creation through which the most socially excluded groups (migrants, rural poor, young offenders and others) can work with artists to tell the stories that matter now.

The Proposed Solution

To achieve these goals, we will establish an effective collaborative and participatory production workflow for the co-creation and co-design of artistic performances, using a community-centered methodology through dialogue and exploring new audiovisual formats.

Thanks to Horizon Europe's R&D program, it has been possible to design and develop a set of tools to foster the creation of opera in community, using technology as a means to reach new audiences and connect artists with audiences. The integration of groups at risk of social exclusion in the creation of opera performances will be carried out through three specific initiatives of the co-creation process:

• In Barcelona, led by the Liceu de Barcelona, there will be a premium opera of co-creation between professionals and residents of the Raval neighborhood, as well as two performances at the Gran Teatre del Liceu with itinerant digital elements.
• In Portugal, promoted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, there will be co-creation with prisoners, presentations in prison and a performance in an opera house using digital capsules.
• In Ireland, with the collaboration of the Irish National Opera, The Secrets of Ireland will be represented through a Digital Opera, with the aim of reaching unpopulated areas or those where it is difficult to access opera. The idea is to use immersive itinerant formats.

In this way, the latest technology is applied to bring cultural events to sectors at risk of social exclusion.

In addition, new technologies have been developed to optimize the workflow in participatory production and innovative formats of audiovisual representation have been explored.

The Co-creation Space is a flexible web tool that enables content exchange, communication and collaboration between professional and community participants around media objects. Created through a design-driven, user-driven research process, the Cocreation Space bridges the gap between social exchange and active collaborative authorship among community members, supporting a grassroots community production process. It can be considered a “private social media” that allows conversation about a production during the co-creation process.
 

The Result

By combining best practices in participatory art with the language, form and process innovations of digital technology, new approaches to co-creation were defined and have innovated in three fields:

a) Opera creation and production;

b) Immersive and interactive digital media

c) Social integration and community development.

Furthermore, this year the European Union is celebrating 40 years of Research & Innovation, and the TRACTION project has been recognized as one of the 40 featured success stories. Thanks to EU funding, we have reimagined opera, making it more accessible, inclusive, and cutting-edge. From the streets of Barcelona to Portuguese prisons and the Irish countryside, we have brought communities together to co-create opera like never before. Through tools like the Co-Creation Space and Co-Creation Stage, TRACTION proves that technology and tradition can come together to make opera truly for everyone. This recognition reinforces the impact of European innovation on culture.