Future Stages

In July of 2020, Brendan Bradley designed and released a free 3D performance space on the web-based virtual reality platform, Mozilla Hubs. Bradley referred to the project as #FutureStages and personally provided tutorials and support for dozens of artists and institutions to customize the experience to create and monetize their own live performance events during the pandemic.

The Future Stages remains free and open for anyone to create their own virtual performance space within minutes, under a CC-BY license (attribution to original creator). Click here to use #FutureStages template.

This virtual playhouse has been used and customized by literally hundreds of artists and insitutions. The immediate impact and scalbility of offering a free-and-open tool for live performance on the immersive web influenced the original creative community and culture of OnBoardXR.

Debut: Proscenium & Blackbox

The Future Stages launched with an exclusive walk-thru and article from Playbill, demonstrating two swapable interiors for proscenium and blackbox staging of live events from any audience or performer’s web-connected device. The template was used for theater, film, classes, workshops, art galleries, and panels around the world and included in Mozilla Hub’s promotional materials for 2020 product uses, including their 2021 Auggie Award for Best Collaboration Tool.

Comedy Club

In the sixth season of OnBoardXR, Andy North customized the Future Stages for a third swapable interior of a classic stand-up comedy club for worldwide comedy acts to utilize the immersive web without access to VR equipment.

HERE Festival

The first prototype of Jettison was presented at The HERE Festival in October 2020 and became the groundwork for the inaugural OnBoardXR: Cruise Showcase.

Black Revolutionary Theater Workshop

Heather Harvey of BRTW in Brooklyn connected with Bradley to further optimize the experience for primarily mobile device attendees and were able to continue their ‘Melanated Mondays’ series throughout the shutdown.

The 5th Wall Forum

During the shutdown, a collective of storytelling proffesionals co-founded The 5th Wall Forum with a Kickoff Event and Reveal Incubator. During the December 2020 Kickoff, Bradley led a Bring Your Production Virtual workshop and panel inside The Future Stages with a dozen participants while broadcasting in 2D to several hundred spectators over Zoom.

Actors Theatre of Louisville

The Actors Theatre of Louisville incorporated the Future Stages tools to customize a 3D model of their own theater in Mozilla Hubs for the Professional Training Company’s 2020 Showcase. ATL continued ground breaking explorations in virtual reality with OnBoardXR community member, Alex Coulombe.

Museum of Science, Boston

The Subspace Adult Programming of The Museum of Science in Boston connected with Bradley to create and perform a one-man-show showcasing the tools and technology behind the Future Stages.

University of Southern Mississippi

Students at USM pushed the Future Stages tutorials to the bleeding edge, staging multiple performances using mixed media, augmented and virtual reality.