interplay_2026 Festival of Live Online Performance

interplay_2026 Live Online Performance Festival Returns January 8-11, 2026
Presented by Chimerik 似不像, in partnership with New Works XR

Chimerik 似不像 is pleased to present interplay_2026, a live online performance festival taking place January 8-11, 2026. This year marks an important moment in the history of the festival.

interplay_ was founded and shaped by a lineage of independent artists and has been passed forward through multiple stages of leadership. The festival began in 2012 with Vanessa Goodman and who passed it to Deanna Peters in 2016, who has now passed it on to Caroline Chien-MacCaull of Chimerik 似不像 as its steward. They are honoured to continue this legacy and to carry forward the festival’s commitment to experimentation, community building, and the practice of live online performance.

Now in its 13th season, interplay_ remains devoted to artists who are reimagining what liveness can mean in a digital space. The festival continues to expand how performance unfolds inside a virtual venue, with a focus on experimentation, accessibility, and new approaches to performance and technology. 

Live online performance refers to artistic works intentionally created or adapted for real-time presentation in digital environments. These works sit at the crossroads of performance, technology, and virtual presence, and center on the shared, ephemeral exchange between artist(s) and audience.

This year’s program feels both emergent and deeply connected. Six artists/groups will share work that approaches technology through distinct artistic lenses such as ritual, embodiment, object perspective, puppetry, continuous partial attention, and fortune telling. Together, their practices carry a shared sense of curiosity and care, reminding us that experimentation can also be a form of connection. We look forward to the many possibilities unfolding and to the ways these artists continue to expand how we experience live art virtually.

After the live online performance program, interplay_ will present the world premiere of THE BORDER, an in person screening at the Cinematheque of the newest feature film by Ying Wang, a multi-award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Cinevolution Media Arts Society. The film’s exploration of borders and liminal spaces mirrors the spirit that drives interplay_: a commitment to questioning boundaries, reimagining what exists between them and reflecting on the divisions that shape, separate, and connect us.

In addition, the festival will also present a series of workshops in collaboration with New Works XR, including artist talks, technical labs, and process-driven conversations that offer deeper insight into the creative methods behind each performance. These sessions invite artists and audiences to reflect on process, learn new tools, and exchange knowledge.

To view the full festival lineup, learn more about each artist and the schedule of events, please visit interplay_ and New Works XR.

Purchase Tickets here.