Challenges facing movement research in the time of Covid-19: Issues in redesigning workshops for remote participation and data collection

Research studies exploring movement-based interactions have typically required access to physical space for workshops with multiple participants. As a result of current Covid-19 social distancing requirements, the move from live instruction and investigation to remote workshops poses both creative and technical challenges. This requires a rethink of what, and how, data is collected. This paper considers these issues applied to an early-stage research project in human–object based movement. The project integrates theatre and dance with computer vision tools, to create new, live theatrical experiences. The first case study focuses on human–object movement using improvised theatre methods, before the computer vision component is introduced to the participants. Issues facing remote workshops include restructuring to accommodate improvisation, devised theatre, and creative collaboration. Physical space and safety, camera issues, spatial awareness, impact on improvisational practices, data limitations and quality are also challenges for the project. Input is invited from the HCI community on the issues raised and the feasibility of the proposed methods, as we prepare to run our study.