That's Interesting — August '25
Audience Uplift
There’s plenty of summer joy at Live Union. Some of the team have been on a site visit to Disneyland Paris, others have been working on a major celebration at Battersea Power Station. There’s been lots of festival going and generally making the most of summer in the city.
So, as August unfolds, we’re leaning into experiences that uplift – bringing people closer to ideas and to each other.
Relaxed Connection
(4min explore)This is a trend we’re very much onboard with. Freeman’s latest report shows just how much audiences are favouring connections over simply consuming more content. We love the Money20/20 idea of combining a stage and a bar.
Why interesting?
- If you want to help people relax, don’t label things networking
- Conversation is better when you frame a common purpose
- People are done with forced interactions
Driving the DLR
(2min read)Emily, noticed one of the mock control panels which have been appearing on the DLR. No driver? No problem. TFL has quietly inserted joy into the commute.
Why interesting?
- Micro-interventions can transform everyday experiences
- Left field thinking adds joy
- No big budget needed, just creativity
Live-Ish Data
(3min explore)“What The Hell Are People Doing?” is part data viz, part art piece. It captures the global mood in motion. It’s an estimated data visualisation fuelled by human curiosity.
Why interesting?
- Find the human stories behind the numbers
- Encourages interaction through curiosity, not metrics
- Suggests new ways to capture and replay audience energy post-event
Climb Inside Cinema
(3min read)This is really clever. The screen showing the film is surrounded by a digital backdrop of imagery responding to the content of the film.
Why interesting?
- Blurs the line between venue and content
- Highlights the growing appetite for full sensory immersion
- Dome venues are opening up new content formats
Team Tried & Tested: Feel the Sound
(3min explore)Sophie H, visited Feel the Sound at the Barbican - a sensory-led exhibition exploring the physicality of sound through vibrations, choral textures and enveloping visuals.
Why interesting?
- Shows the power of reimagining something we take for granted
- Highlights how immersion can increase inclusivity and accessibility
- Offers useful cues for designing content that connects beyond visuals
Team Tried & Tested: BTS Lightroom
(8min watch)Behind Lightroom’s prehistoric experience is a team combining design, music and storytelling to bring audiences face-to-face with the scale and science of dinosaurs.
Why interesting?
- Valuable techniques for connecting audiences to ideas
- Demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary creative teams
- It’s storytelling designed to teach
Team Tried & Tested: The Bawdy Bard
(3min read)We’ve been taking clients and friends of the agency to the Bridge Theatre’s immersive production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The stage rises, shifts and reconfigures mid-scene, the audience flows with it. The fourth wall? It’s long gone.
Why interesting?
- The constantly shifting stage invites the audience to move, adapt and reorient
- Design elements like overhead drapes and aerial performance heighten emotional immersion
- A rich reference for designing live experiences where narrative and environment evolve together
