The TRACTION ICAT comprises a rich assortment of representatives from the fields of academia, technology and the performing arts; whose role it is to provide feedback and guidance to the consortium on the progress of the project from an outsider perspective, and to help direct it towards its objectives and desired outcomes.

Several meetings have been held online with the ICAT to discuss the progress of the project:

The International Core Advisory Team (ICAT) and project partners were introduced by project coordinator Mikel Zorrilla (Vicomtech). The role, activities and tasks of the ICAT were defined, followed by a discussion about a possible interaction between the trials, the local advisory teams and the members of the ICAT. Several topics were discussed including the use of the technology, the methodology, and the possibilities to createnew trial nodes. The timing of these activities and next steps were agreed and the meeting was closed.

A series of presentations made by the project’s work package leaders, aimed at providing an overview of the work carried out in the project during 2020. Leader of work package 2 Pablo Cesar (CWI) presented the TRACTION technology and toolset. François Matarasso (Work package 3 leader) gave an overview of progress in the community opera trials, and leader of work package 4 Anna Matamala (UAB) gave an update on the progress of the evaluation methodology of the project. Further topics were covered, including the project’s ongoing adaptation to the barriers imposed by the global pandemic. Later, the TRACTION innovation was discussed as ICAT members were asked to identify areas of the project that they found particularly interesting, with the goal of guiding the project focus according to an external perspective.

ICAT members and partners were welcomed by the Project Coordinator Mikel Zorrilla (Vicomtech), who then gave a report on European Commission review of the project which was held on 4th May 2021. After a discussion, a summary of the technology pilots was given. The INO and Co-creation Space pilot was outlined to explain how the toolset is being used in the music co-creation of the virtual reality opera. Then, the SAMP and Co-creation Stage pilot was outlined, with a focus on the first public performances using the toolset held in June 2021. Before closing the meeting, the social impact of the project was discussed in the context of the communication and dissemination strategy.

This time, the meeting was held with a view to gaining vital perspectives on the stage of evaluation that the project is currently undergoing. Hosted by Project Coordinator Mikel Zorrilla, the meeting was split into two parts. First the attendees were welcomed and the fundamentals about the progress of the project were outlined. The second part was led by leader of Work Package 4, Anna Matamala (UAB), who outlined the mid-process evaluation on co-creation and initial performances: instruments and results.

After a welcome and introduction by Project Coordinator Mikel Zorrilla (Vicomtech), François Matarasso led a discussion about the international conference held the previous day: Building Capabilities: Rethinking the Social Value of Culture. Paulo Lameiro (SAMP) and François Matarasso then opened the floor to thoughts on the recent opera performance of O Tempo (Somos Nós) at the EPL-J youth prison in Leiria. This was followed by a presentation and discussion led by Mikel Zorrilla with an update on the status and challenges of the project as it enters its final months. To end the session, consortium and ICAT members debated how to best communicate TRACTION’s work to the community and the legacy that it should provide once the project ends.

Members of the ICAT made their way to Liceu Opera House in Barcelona to experience the final performance of La Gata Perduda. the community opera created with over 400 local people from Raval where the opera house is located. The previous day, they met with TRACTION members in Arts Santa Mònica to allow them to experience Out of the Oradinary, the world’s first virtual reality community opera produced by Irish National Opera within the TRACTION project, created through community workshops with the people of Ireland.

During the final TRACION General Assembly hosted by project leaders Vicomtech in San Sebastian, members of the ICAT joined the TRACTION consortium in an call with Richard Soler, Stage Director of La Gata Perduda. During the meeting, they had the chance to learn more about the strategies used in managing the co-creation process and it’s challenges.

In the final meeting with the Traction ICAT, project leader Mikel Zorrilla gave a summary on the closing of the project and presented the outcomes and assets that had been created to promote the legacy of the project. This was followed by leader of the evaluation work package Anna Matamala, who gave a presentation on the opera co-creation and performance evaluation results, highlighting feedback from participants. François Matarasso went on to speak about the Traction guiding principles which have been laid out in a forthcoming book. The meeting ended with a 30-minute discussion during which the ICAT were thanked for their participation and congratulations were given.