ResDance Series 8: Episode 12: NEUROLIVE: An interdisciplinary study of liveness with Guido Orgsand Matthias Sperling
In this episode, Guido and Matthias discuss NEUROLIVE, a 5-year interdisciplinary research collaboration that brings artists, scientists and audiences together to study what makes live experiences special. We explore how the bringing together of performance making and cognitive performance science has shared insight into how such collaborations can questionliveness and the distinctiveness of live performance, more generally. Guido and Matthias highlight the value of artistic and scientific disciplines being fully realised in collaborative contexts and wider considerations around the role of dance practices and knowledge in contributing to developments in other fields.
Guido Orgs
Guido Orgs is a Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience and Group Leader of the Movement & Performance Group at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, and also has a background as a dancer. He is the Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of NEUROLIVE.
Contact Details
Email: guido.orgs@ucl.ac.uk
Matthias Sperling
Matthias Sperling is an artist, choreographer and performer. His work investigates knowledge-generation in dance and choreographic practice as an embodied process of conjuring. He is Co-investigator and Artistic Director of NEUROLIVE.
Contact Details
Email: matthias@matthias-sperling.com
Social Media
Instagram: @matthias_sperling
Neurolive
NEUROLIVE is a 5-year interdisciplinary research collaborationthat brings artists, scientists and audiences together to study what makes live experiences special. Funded by the European Research Council, the project is a collaboration between University College London, Goldsmiths University, the MaxPlanck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and Siobhan Davies Studios.
Website: neurolive.info
Instagram: @neuroliveness
Published Sources
Rai, L., Lee, H., Becke, E., Trenado, C., Abad-Hernando, S., Sperling, M., Vidaurre, D., Wald-Fuhrmann, M., Richardson, D., Ward, J., Orgs, G (2025). Delta-band inter-brain synchrony reflects collective audience engagement withlive dance performances. iScience. Available at: https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01183-6
Lee, H., Ashwell, C., Sperling, M., Rai, L., & Orgs, G. (2025). Engaged and confused: Aesthetic appreciation of live andscreened contemporary dance. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000727
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