Immersive Experience in Design: Participatory Practices of Audience Cultural Identity and Memory Construction

Abstract

Immersive theatre, as a contemporary performance form that integrates narrative, space, and sensory participation, has gradually expanded from entertainment consumption to a practice of cultural representation and memory construction. Audiences are no longer merely passive spectators but participate in the narrative through role-playing, situational interaction, and sensory triggers, thereby generating cultural identity and emotional memory. While existing research has preliminarily addressed the characteristics of immersive design and audience interaction, there remains a lack of in-depth exploration into how audiences, after the performance, come to develop cultural positional understanding and sustain memory through participatory practices. Drawing on three Taiwanese immersive productions with strong local cultural contexts—The Great Tipsy, Someone, and Ephemeral Light: Taiwan—this study employs participatory observation and content analysis as an exploratory qualitative inquiry. Findings indicate that audience subjectivity is shaped by role design and the degree of participatory freedom; the depth of interaction and cultural context within narrative strategies determine cultural reception; emotional triggers act as a catalyst for cultural memory construction; and the depth of immersion influences the intensity and continuity of post-performance cultural effects. The three works, respectively, embody “emotional,” “historical,” and “cognitive” modes of cultural influence, producing distinct levels of post-experiential effects. This study further reveals that the formation of cultural identity emerges from the interweaving of design strategies, affective triggers, and narrative participation. These insights not only inform immersive design practices but also suggest the importance of incorporating cultural aftereffect tracking and educational applications to extend the depth and breadth of cultural practice.

1. Introduction

Immersive experiences have been widely recognized as a key strategy for enhancing audience engagement and emotional resonance. They have received increasing attention in both theatre and media studies (Lombard and Ditton 1997) and serve as a central focus in contemporary research on immersive design and narrative (Bishop 2015). In the field of theatre, immersive approaches not only enrich the entertainment value of performances but also stimulate psychological resonance and memory construction among audiences (Biggin 2017). As immersive experiences become a major trend in cultural and creative industries, immersive theatre has emerged as a prominent form in the performing arts and is regarded as an effective strategy to strengthen audience participation and emotional connection (Machon 2013). This form not only enhances entertainment value and interactivity during the viewing process but also emphasizes deep engagement across narrative, space, and role interaction, thereby stimulating psychological resonance and memory construction (Biggin 2017). This form emphasizes deep engagement across narrative, space, and role interaction, generating collective and individual meaning-making through affective and sensory stimulation. The cultural potential of immersive theatre lies not only in its formal innovation but also in its ability to convey cultural meaning through role-based interaction and scenographic reconstruction, allowing audiences to internalize cultural content with minimal cognitive burden (Nield 2008). However, in Taiwan, immersive theatre in practice often remains oriented toward one-off entertainment consumption. For instance, certain groups have produced “immersive escape rooms” and “light-and-shadow experience exhibitions,” which primarily highlight sensory stimulation, photo-taking opportunities, or novel atmospheres. Audience participation in such events often stays at the level of immediate interaction and entertainment enjoyment. While such performances attract popular participation, audiences’ perception of cultural content tends to remain confined to immediate sensory impressions, lacking deeper reflection or contextual extension. This highlights a critical challenge for immersive theatre in cultural dissemination: how can it move beyond short-term sensory stimulation to enable audiences to sustain emotional connections and value identification with local culture after the performance? Reviewing the existing literature, most studies focus on subjective experiences during performances—such as presence, interactivity, and empathy—yet little research has systematically traced how audiences sustain memory, transform cultural attitudes, or generate critical reflection after the immersive experience.

Accordingly, this study examines whether immersive theatre can serve as a practical site of cultural participation, approaching the inquiry through three core dimensions: (1) audience positioning and the emergence of subjectivity—how participants transition from passive viewers to culturally active agents; (2) emotional experience and memory activation—how audiences construct personal or collective cultural memory through role empathy and spatial perception; and (3) cultural narrative reception and identity transformation—how audiences interpret, internalize, and reframe local cultural meanings after the performance. Through this analytical framework, this study seeks to examine how immersive theatre can transcend representational display to achieve cultural empathy, internalization, and sustained impact in local cultural practice. By integrating theoretical reflection with practical observation, this research offers critical insights and actionable strategies for applying immersive design in cultural communication.

This study adopts a qualitative research orientation, combining participatory observation and content analysis for data collection and interpretation. The researcher directly participated in the three productions, documenting on-site interactions and audience responses, and further supplemented these records with post-performance interviews, feedback materials, and theatrical texts, which were subjected to thematic coding and cultural interpretation. Two core concepts frame the analysis:

• Subjectivity: This refers to the process by which audiences, within immersive experiences, shift from passive spectators to culturally agentive participants endowed with interpretive authority. The concept draws upon White’s (2013) “aesthetics of the invitation” and Bishop’s (2015) critique of participatory art, emphasizing that audience subjectivity is dynamically generated within specific rules of interaction and frameworks of role design.
• Identity: This denotes the cultural self-positioning and value orientations that audiences develop through immersive participation (Hall et al. 2003). Identity may manifest in diverse forms: “situational identity”, generated through affective resonance; “critical identity”, provoked by historical reflection; or “cognitive cultural resonance”, formed through knowledge absorption (Landsberg 2007).

These categories not only serve as an operational framework for analyzing the three case studies but also demonstrate how immersive theatre, through varying design strategies, guides audiences in constructing multi-layered cultural positions.

2. Literature Review

Grounded in the preceding discussion, this section is organized into three main sub-sections: (1) the artistic characteristics and current research on immersive theatre; (2) the transformation of audience subjectivity and meta-experiential effects; and (3) the construction of cultural contexts and reception models. These sections aim to clarify the potential impacts and theoretical implications of immersive theatre in the transmission of culture, local engagement, and the practice of subjectivity.

2.1. Artistic Characteristics and Current Research on Immersive Theatre

Josephine Machon, a leading scholar in contemporary performance studies, identifies three key dimensions of immersive experience: absorption, transportation, and immersion. “Absorption” highlights the state of engagement produced through imagination and focused attention; “Transportation” provides a game-like cognitive framework that guides participants into another world; while “Immersion” emphasizes a heightened sense of presence in which the audience feels entirely situated within an alternative environment. Diodato et al. (2012) further argue that immersive experiences should not be confused with simulations. For him, immersion is a perceptual state generated within reality itself. It constitutes a “virtuality of the sensible”—not a mere replication of reality but a perceptual tension between fiction and reality that opens an interpretive space at its boundaries. This perspective challenges conventional misunderstandings of virtual fields in theatre and offers a philosophical foundation for positioning immersive performances. Thomas B. Sheridan (1992) identifies presence as a core feature of immersion, dependent on three interrelated factors: (1) the breadth and depth of sensory input; (2) user control over sensory engagement and environment; and (3) the user’s ability to adjust and extend the limits of physical space. These factors collectively constitute a multi-sensory, co-mediated perceptual field that makes possible the state of “being there” (Lombard and Ditton 1997). In this field, the perceptual interlinkages involved in this experience constitute what Chiu (2018) terms an “aesthetics of empathetic synesthesia,” rather than a pursuit of illusionistic realism.

Importantly, in artistic practice, immersive theatre excels at using somatic stimulation and creating participatory spaces to reinterpret dramatic texts, producing a fundamental shift in theatrical experience. Such a transformation not only alters modes of reception but also reshapes the audience–performance relationship. Theatre is liberated from fixed structural frames: “linguistic texts” and “texts of mise-en-scène” are no longer central, replaced instead by “performance texts” that emphasize immediacy and corporeality (Klich and Scheer 2012). Unlike the “imaginary space” of traditional theatre, performance texts rely on direct, real-time experience and bodily presence to replace mediated fiction. In other words, these works foreground not only sensory stimulation but also the interaction between body and space in mediated perception, revealing the dynamic relation between human subjectivity and media feedback (Salter 2010). In Taiwan, recent studies and practices of immersive theatre can be summarized into four main directions: (1) examining audience participation and sensory immersion, often framed by theories of perception and spectatorship (Dixon 2007; Reason 2004; Wang 2018; Hsu 2021); (2) analyzing spatial strategies and narrative design, particularly in non-traditional venues, such as ruins, alleys, and galleries (Kang 2017; Chiu and Cheng 2019); (3) investigating the integration of immersive theatre with local revitalization and community engagement, highlighting its role in cultural governance and site-making (Chiang 2023; Zheng 2024); and (4) conducting case analyses of groups such as Apple Theatre and Refuse Theatre, focusing on their experiments with local storytelling, interactive formats, and creative practices (C.-L. Chen 2021; C.-C. Chen 2024). Despite these advances, several gaps remain. First, research on audience subjectivity has primarily emphasized “participation” yet has paid insufficient attention to the power structures embedded in role design, the asymmetries of narrative access, and whether audiences can genuinely intervene in narrative authority or spatial sovereignty (Bishop 2015; Freshwater 2009). Second, inquiries into the integration of immersive theatre with digital technologies remain preliminary, especially concerning issues of spatial attachment and narrative coherence in AR/VR environments (Freeman et al. 2017). Third, while affective immersion is frequently noted, there is a lack of systematic analysis regarding how bodily and emotional responses are deliberately designed, orchestrated, and regulated (Salter 2010; Machon 2013). Finally, despite abundant case documentation and event critiques, there is still no systematic and culturally sensitive evaluative framework for assessing the effectiveness of immersive theatre. Establishing such a framework remains a crucial future task.

2.2. The Transformation of Audience Subjectivity and Meta-Experiential Effects

In traditional theatre contexts, audiences have typically been positioned as passive spectators. However, with the rise of immersive theatre, audiences are increasingly regarded as agents, participants, and even co-creators. As Wang (2018) notes, the transition from external observer to embodied participant collapses the binary between social actor and theatrical spectator. White (2013) introduces the concept of the “aesthetics of the invitation,” suggesting that immersive theatre redefines the audience–performer relationship and enables transformations in audience subjectivity through active participation. Bishop (2015), from a participatory arts perspective, critically observes that while immersive theatre appears to offer audience agency, participation often occurs within a pre-defined structure of control. This indicates that audience subjectivity is not entirely free but is shaped within a framework of “controlled participation.” Freshwater (2009) adds that audience subjectivity should not be measured solely by the act of participation but by the ways in which individuals construct self-awareness and positionality through the experience. A prominent example is Sleep No More by Punchdrunk, which allows audiences to roam freely without verbal instruction while masked, thereby enabling them to shift from passive viewers to active explorers. S. Chen (2025) argues that this transformation is facilitated by the interplay of spatial, narrative, and sensory immersion. In Taiwan, similar discussions have emerged around how role fluidity and participatory design affect audience agency, emotional engagement, and cognitive framing. Immersive theatre thus reconfigures the relationship between audience and performance space, destabilizing conventional power dynamics and narrative structures. Audiences undergo a dynamic process of being “shaped–aware–responsive” (Machon 2013). While foundational work has been conducted on audience behavior, further exploration is needed into how subjectivity emerges through the interplay of psychological mechanisms and socio-cultural contexts, thereby enriching both theoretical and applied understandings of immersive participation.

The value of immersive theatre lies not only in the intensity of the in-the-moment experience but also in its capacity to foster a lingering memory and critical reflection post-performance. Dahlke (2002), in her “Experience Economy” theory, argues that truly influential experiences should extend into participants’ everyday lifeworlds, shaping their values and emotional identity. Reason (2004), from the perspective of audience studies, introduces the concept of “metaperception,” contending that the educational and cultural functions of theatre often do not appear immediately on site but gradually emerge through audiences’ subsequent reflection and reinterpretation. This view can be complemented by Landsberg’s (2007) theory of “prosthetic memory,” which explains how audiences may generate “authentic yet unexperienced” memories through immersion, thereby forming a sense of cultural positionality. Erll’s (2011) work on “cultural memory transmission” further reminds us that memory endurance requires reinforcement through symbols, media, and social interaction. Immersive theatre’s scenographic reconstruction and participatory engagement can thus be regarded as catalysts of cultural memory, whose effects may surface only after the performance. This process is particularly salient in immersive theatre, for audiences not only witness but also act and choose, thereby cultivating responsibility and reflective space after the performance (Biggin 2017). Machon (2013) further proposes that immersive theatre activates an “affective memory mechanism,” allowing audiences to retain emotionally charged, sensorial memories that can later be translated into cultural understanding and critical thinking. Salter’s (2010) notion of “resonant cognition” reinforces this idea, emphasizing that embodied resonance can extend the cognitive impact of an experience beyond the event itself. By expanding immersive theatre research to include post-performance memory retention and the emergence of critical consciousness, scholars can better understand its long-term cultural influence. This also opens new possibilities for designing performances that facilitate meta-reflection and cultural learning, highlighting the role of immersive theatre as a medium for sustained socio-cultural practice.

2.3. Construction of Cultural Contexts and Modes of Reception

As a performative form that integrates spatial narrative, interactive design, and participatory experience, immersive theatre not only disrupts traditional audience–performer dynamics but also demonstrates significant potential in cultural transmission and meaning-making. Through highly contextualized storytelling and spatial design, immersive theatre creates experience environments rich in cultural depth and emotional intensity. Audiences are no longer mere spectators but become active participants and co-producers of cultural meaning (Graham et al. 2016). The construction of cultural context typically involves the integration of three core elements: (1) the symbolic transformation of space; (2) the narrative reconstruction of local stories; and (3) the positioning of the audience as cultural receivers and agents. According to the theory of “cultural landscapes” (Graham et al. 2016), cultural value is inherently tied to the historical memory and symbolic meaning of place. Immersive theatre, by embedding performances in historically and locally significant sites—such as old houses, alleys, ruins, or community spaces—activates emotional and mnemonic connections between audiences and space (Salter 2010; Nield 2008). The liveness and locatedness of immersive theatre enable it to become a generative site for cultural experience. Through bodily action and sensory engagement, audiences enter a deliberately designed cultural environment, in which understanding emerges not solely from cognition but also through affect and embodied perception. This aligns with Geertz’s (1973) concept of “thick description,” which emphasizes that cultural understanding is not abstract knowledge acquisition but the lived perception of symbols, context, and emotion. In Taiwan, more performance groups are integrating local cultural elements into immersive theatre. Companies such as Refuse Theatre and Apple Theatre use local memory, historical events, and folklore as textual foundations. Through mobile route designs and role-based interactions, they reconstruct the participatory and representational dimensions of local narratives (Kang 2017). These practices position immersive theatre not only as an artistic medium but also as a platform for cultural reinterpretation and social dialogue. However, the process of cultural reception involves how audiences interpret, negotiate, or even resist the cultural messages embedded in the performance. Hall et al. (2003) emphasize in their encoding/decoding model that cultural communication is never unidirectional; rather, audiences may adopt dominant, negotiated, or oppositional readings of cultural messages. This corresponds with Eco’s (1979) notion of the “open text,” wherein meaning is always co-produced through audience participation. As such, immersive theatre audiences may adopt dominant, negotiated, or oppositional readings of the cultural context presented (Hall et al. 2003). Some scholars caution against the “trap of cultural representation” in immersive design. On the one hand, it offers opportunities for local cultural engagement; on the other, it risks simplifying, romanticizing, or over-narrativizing local experiences, turning it into a consumable spectacle or symbolic landscape (Debord [1967] 1994; Bishop 2015).

2.4. Summary of Literature Review

Immersive theatre has gradually shifted from its earlier emphasis on sensory stimulation and entertainment experience toward concerns with cultural memory, local narratives, and audience participation. Most existing research highlights presence, interactivity, and spatial-narrative design, emphasizing its innovative performative forms. At the same time, within cultural studies and memory theory, audiences are increasingly regarded as participants in the construction of cultural meaning and memory. Nevertheless, three critical gaps remain: (1) there is insufficient empirical data on the conditions and mechanisms through which audience subjectivity emerges during participation; (2) while cultural contexts and narrative content have been examined, analyses of how these influence transformations of cultural identity remain limited; and (3) little research has systematically traced or quantified audiences’ emotional continuities and post-experience effects after performances. Accordingly, this study conceptualizes immersive theatre as a site of cultural participation and develops an analytical framework addressing these gaps through four dimensions: (1) audience role participation and the emergence of subjectivity—responding to White’s (2013) and Bishop’s (2015) discussions of audience agency and participatory power; (2) narrative reconstruction and cultural contextualization—building on Hall et al.’s (2003) and Graham et al.’s (2016) accounts of cultural transmission and reception; (3) affective triggers and memory construction—drawing on Reason’s (2004) and Machon’s (2013) perspectives on meta-experience and affective memory; and (4) post-experience identity transformation—integrating Landsberg’s (2007) and Erll’s (2011) analyses of cultural memory and continuity. This framework allows this study to move from theory to empirical analysis, examining how immersive design produces different levels of cultural effects across the three selected case studies.

3. Analysis and Discussion

Drawing on first-hand qualitative data collected through participant observation and content analysis, this study focuses on how audiences in immersive environments generate cultural identification and memory through role enactment, situational interaction, and sensory stimulation. It further examines whether these psychological and cultural processes persist beyond the performance, resulting in what can be described as “post-experience effects.”

3.1. Audience Role Participation and the Formation of Subjectivity

A defining characteristic of immersive theatre lies in the repositioning of the audience—not as passive spectators but as participants who enter the performative space, assume roles, engage with the narrative, and activate interactions. Through this embodied and interactive engagement, audiences construct their perceptual positioning and emergent subjectivity. Accordingly, the nature of audience participation not only shapes the depth of immersion but is intimately tied to processes of cultural identification and the formation of agency. In The Great Tipsy, audience members are assigned the role of “travelers” at the outset. Upon entering a simulated train compartment, they are welcomed by crew members and guided to specific cabins based on the narrative route they select. While verbal participation is not required, the audience’s sense of presence is notably intense. Emotional projection often occurs due to the proximity of character experiences, placing audience members in a hybrid state of partial participation and observation. According to Spradley’s (1980) typology of participant observation, such a role constitutes a “participant-as-observer” role, where the individual is shaped by the narrative yet retains a degree of autonomy within the interaction. In Someone, audiences are cast as “potential witnesses” in a performance staged within an abandoned school. There is no explicit role assignment; instead, viewers are drawn into a historical narrative centered on Taiwan’s White Terror era. Audiences navigate the space freely, moving between rooms to collect fragmented dialogue and reconstruct the fate of persecuted characters. This design positions the audience as co-investigators in narrative reconstruction, prompting a psychological shift from “outsider” to “responsible participant.” Machon (2013) emphasizes the potency of immersive participation through the “blurred boundaries between role and self.” Someone exemplifies this ambiguity, encouraging the formation of a reflective subjectivity rooted in ethical responsibility. Ephemeral Light: Taiwan adopts a more guided role structure, wherein audience members are positioned as “historical travelers.” Led by a narrator, they journey through three historical periods—Qing rule, Japanese occupation, and post-war Taiwan. Although freedom of movement is limited, the role is clearly defined, and the narrative flow remains stable. Interactions are primarily symbolic or responsive (e.g., lighting candles and casting votes). This model aligns with White’s (2013) notion of “negotiated participation,” in which audiences feel involved but exert limited influence. Subjectivity here emerges through emotional identification with historical storytelling and contextual immersion. These three productions demonstrate distinct strategies in audience role design, each fostering varying levels of participatory depth and subjective emergence. The Great Tipsy employs role assignment and emotional alignment to cultivate emotion-driven subjectivity; Someone encourages historical subjectivity through investigative reconstruction and memory reassembly; Ephemeral Light: Taiwan invokes cognitive–cultural subjectivity through guided historical learning. The design of audience roles not only shapes the immediacy of the immersive experience but also becomes the departure point for cultural identification and memory construction.

3.2. Narrative Strategies and the Representation of Cultural Contexts

Immersive theatre, as a form that emphasizes situational and sensory engagement, relies heavily on the interplay between narrative and cultural context to foster audience understanding and cultural identification (Graham et al. 2016). Narrative in this context functions not merely as a vehicle for plot delivery but as a practice of cultural representation. Through characters, language, and space, it evokes historical consciousness and emotional resonance, allowing audiences to position themselves within cultural identity frameworks (Hall et al. 2003). In the three immersive theatre productions analyzed in this study, the degree and mode of integration between narrative and local cultural context vary significantly, shaping different forms of cultural representation. In The Great Tipsy, the narrative centers on the emotional lives of multiple characters, such as an aging bartender, a runaway youth, and a heartbroken woman. Although no explicit historical references are made, the characters’ identities and spatial settings—train compartments, a bar, a platform—evoke themes of emotional disconnection, familial absence, and intergenerational alienation prevalent in urban Taiwanese life. This form of indirect storytelling invites audiences to engage in emotional projection and cultural association, constructing personal meanings through affective resonance. Rather than conveying explicit historical knowledge, it generates what Machon (2013) terms a “potential cultural narrative,” formed through shared empathy. In contrast, Someone foregrounds the White Terror as a central historical theme. The narrative includes interrogation, censorship, and the silenced fates of victims, set within the ruins of an abandoned school—an architectural witness to collective trauma. The performance retains historical traces in its scenography, such as sealed classrooms, faded name rosters, and an old phonograph in the basement. Audiences are required to actively piece together the story from fragmented dialogue and spatial clues. This strategy aligns with Taylor’s (2003) notion of “performative historiography,” emphasizing multiplicity and ambiguity in historical representation while granting interpretive agency to the audience. The cultural context represented in Someone is therefore both a recollection of the past and a critical response to the politics of national memory. Ephemeral Light: Taiwan employs a linear, guided narrative structure in which audience members, cast as “historical travelers,” journey through three historical eras—Qing Dynasty, Japanese colonial rule, and post-war Taiwan. Through guided dialogue, set transitions, and mixed-media projections, the audience is immersed in a macro-narrative of cultural evolution. Although less interactive than the other two productions, its narrative logic is clear, and the cultural content is informative. This museum-like structure supports historical education and cultural orientation, making it effective for communicating Taiwan’s pluralistic heritage to audiences less familiar with its history (Anderson 2016). Overall, all three productions employ distinct narrative strategies to reconstruct cultural contexts but differ in their approaches to cultural representation and audience positioning. The Great Tipsy uses emotional narratives as cultural metaphors, encouraging audiences to construct meaning through personal resonance; Someone engages viewers as participants in fragmented memory and historical reconstruction; Ephemeral Light: Taiwan leads audiences through a structured narrative framework that facilitates cognitive understanding of Taiwan’s historical development. These differences suggest that narrative strategies in immersive theatre significantly shape how audiences receive, interpret, and internalize cultural meaning, ultimately influencing the pathways through which cultural identity is formed.

3.3. Affective Triggers and Strategies for Memory Activation

In immersive theatre, audiences do not merely comprehend the narrative intellectually—they engage emotionally through sensory involvement, character interaction, and spatial immersion. Emotional activation is not only a byproduct of immersive techniques but also a key mechanism for memory construction and cultural internalization (Reason 2004). When a particular scene or interaction evokes resonance, nostalgia, or dissonance, affect becomes the catalyst for memory formation and the reconfiguration of cultural identity (Casey 2000). The three productions analyzed in this study employed distinct affective strategies, shaped by their narrative styles and audience positioning. In The Great Tipsy, emotional engagement is triggered through intimate proximity to characters and the creation of a sensorially immersive atmosphere. Audiences, cast as “travelers,” engage in close-range conversations with characters who express emotions such as sorrow, confusion, or regret. In private spaces—such as cabin compartments or dimly lit bars—characters share fragments of fictional personal memories (e.g., lost lovers and unfulfilled dreams). While these stories are fabricated, they evoke authentic emotional responses. As Machon (2013) notes, “the immediacy of the body and the truthfulness of emotion co-construct a psychological field of memory for the audience.” Observations revealed that some audience members cried during character monologues or later expressed feelings like “I saw myself in them,” suggesting the successful activation of empathic memory. By contrast, Someone elicits emotions grounded in historical trauma and systemic oppression. Audiences traverse dark, unfamiliar spaces and witness characters being surveilled, interrogated, or forcibly disappeared. Key scenes—such as a character being taken away or a conversation being abruptly cut off—are designed as “emotional rupture” points. These deliberate disruptions destabilize immersion and compel memory formation under emotional tension. As Taylor (2003) argues, emotion functions not only as a medium for identification but also as a narrative strategy for representing historical trauma—its purpose is not to comfort but to provoke cultural responsibility and critical reflection. In Ephemeral Light: Taiwan, emotional activation follows a gentler, education-oriented model. The performance uses rhythmic transitions, an evocative sound design, and symbolic objects—such as old maps, projection imagery, and floating lanterns—to foster an affective atmosphere. Rather than inducing intense emotional shifts, the show guides the audience through a “watch–understand–resonate” sequence, gradually cultivating curiosity and affinity toward Taiwanese cultural history. Audience feedback included descriptors like “warm,” “touching,” and “moving,” though most reactions appeared to be momentary, with lower long-term memory retention. This strategy aligns with Dahlke’s (2002) “educational experience” model, where emotion may not be intense but still facilitates cultural learning and attitudinal change. In summary, the three productions employed distinct strategies of emotional engagement and memory activation: The Great Tipsy adopts an empathic model through personal storytelling and emotional projection; Someone utilizes a conflict-based model, invoking ethical resonance through historical violence and spatial pressure; while Ephemeral Light: Taiwan engages audiences through a guided model that combines symbolic imagery and atmosphere to facilitate cognitive–emotional entry into historical narratives. These differences reveal that emotion in immersive theatre is not merely a tool for engagement but a form of cultural practice and affective politics—a force that shapes how memory is generated, internalized, and sustained.

3.4. Post-Experience Transformation of Cultural Identity

The formation of cultural identity does not occur instantaneously during the performance itself but rather unfolds afterward—through processes of memory recall, emotional reflection, and interpretive engagement (Hall et al. 2003). As a highly interactive and contextualized cultural practice, immersive theatre often produces delayed post-experience effects, which must be observed through audience language, behavioral shifts, and attitudinal transformations after the performance (Reason 2004; Biggin 2017). Based on the observations and interviews collected in this study, all three productions revealed that audiences experienced varying degrees of cultural identity transformation, a process that can be broadly divided into three stages: “immediate reaction–short-term reflection–extended connection.” However, differences in audience backgrounds and experiences led to diverse forms of transformation, indicating that identity formation is not a uniform or homogeneous outcome. In The Great Tipsy, many younger audience members emphasized “emotional continuity” and “self-projection.” For instance, a 20-year-old female interviewee remarked, “The character’s story felt like it was telling my own experience—I kept thinking about her words after the performance.” By contrast, some older participants stated that they “felt warmth but experienced it more like watching a story, without such a strong sense of identification.” This illustrates that the same immersive context may evoke different depths of identification across generations. Audiences of Someone tended to exhibit more critical forms of identity transformation. One university student explained, “It was the first time I felt that the White Terror had something to do with me, ”while a middle-aged audience member noted, “I thought about the silence of my parents’ generation, and it was very shocking.” These responses demonstrate how a single performance can provoke multiple layers of historical reflection, reinforcing the role of immersive theatre as a medium of memory intervention. By comparison, Ephemeral Light: Taiwan elicited more cognitive forms of cultural resonance. A high school teacher commented, “I feel like I learned a lot of knowledge—it’s something I could bring my students to see,” (refer to Appendix A). indicating an educational function oriented toward informational absorption. However, another participant noted, “It was impressive, but I’m not sure I will recall it again later,” suggesting lower continuity of memory retention. Overall, the identity transformations stimulated by immersive theatre are not universally consistent but are shaped by audiences’ social backgrounds, generational experiences, and levels of cultural knowledge. This variability highlights that the formation of cultural identity is a plural and multi-layered dynamic process, rather than a unidimensional collective effect. This aligns with Landsberg’s (2007) concept of prosthetic memory, whereby individuals adopt mediated experiences constructed within the theatre as reference points for cultural positioning. Someone, by contrast, elicited a more critical transformation in cultural identification. Post-performance responses indicated heightened awareness of Taiwan’s modern history, particularly its legacy of political repression and silence. Several participants shared long reflective posts on social media. This illustrates how immersive theatre may function not only as a medium of memory representation but also as a platform for memory intervention. When audiences actively reconstruct fragmented histories through narrative participation, their cultural identity emerges not as passive acceptance but as an actively constructed stance through perception and action (Hirsch 2008). In comparison, the cultural identification prompted by Ephemeral Light: Taiwan leaned more toward educational resonance. Many audience members described the experience as “informative” and “enriching,” indicating an increase in historical knowledge and general awareness of Taiwanese culture. However, these responses lacked evidence of strong emotional engagement or subjective transformation. This reflects what Hall et al. (2003) define as dominant reading, in which audiences receive cultural messages as encoded by the dominant narrative without engaging in critical reflection. These findings suggest that while immersive theatre can successfully promote cognitive forms of cultural identification, such effects are less likely to result in deep cultural positioning or transformation unless paired with emotional depth and participatory intensity.

3.5. Summary

In summary, the three productions demonstrated clear differences in both design strategies and cultural effects. The Great Tipsy centered on character emotions, fostering situational identification closely tied to everyday life experiences, though its cultural effects were largely short-term emotional projections. Someone, by contrast, employed the historical narrative of the White Terror and a site-specific design to trigger audiences’ critical cultural awareness, producing the most sustained and profound reflections. Ephemeral Light: Taiwan relied primarily on linear guided narration and educational functions, offering cognitive forms of cultural resonance but lacking greater emotional depth and continuity. These three types, respectively, highlight the distinct functions of immersive theatre in terms of “emotional triggering,” “historical critique,” and “educational orientation,” while also demonstrating that the formation of cultural identity does not follow a single pattern but instead unfolds along multiple pathways shaped by design strategies and levels of participation. Such a comparative perspective not only clarifies the diverse practices of immersive theatre but also underscores the central contribution of this study: to reveal how immersive design, through varying participatory and narrative strategies, guides audiences toward constructing cultural positions at different levels. (refer to Appendix B).

4. Research Method

This study aims to explore the processes of cultural identity formation, memory construction, and participatory practice within immersive theatre. Adopting a qualitative research approach, this study integrates participant observation and content analysis to balance on-site experiential understanding with systematic textual analysis. Three immersive theatre productions were selected as case studies: The Great Tipsy, Someone, and Ephemeral Light: Taiwan. These productions are notable for their strong connections to Taiwanese local culture and their representative status in both academic and professional contexts. All three works demonstrate rich local narratives, critical cultural perspectives, and deep audience engagement. The first phase of this research employed participant observation (Spradley 1980), in which the researcher attended all three performances in person, collecting qualitative data through embodied perception and situational interaction. This stage focused on observing audience behavior, emotional responses, and the process of subjectivity formation, as well as their relation to the logic of immersive theatre design. Supplementary data were collected through field notes, informal interviews, and audiovisual documentation, offering insights into the audience’s emotional shifts and cultural reception trajectories. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 audience members, each lasting approximately 15–30 min. Interviews were scheduled either immediately after the performance or within five days in order to ensure both immediacy and continuity of responses. The interview questions focused on three dimensions: (1) emotional triggers and immediate feelings; (2) cultural understanding and memory continuity; and (3) value reflection and attitudinal transformation. All interview data and observational notes were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic coding, with the initial coding framework constructed on the basis of theories proposed by White (2013), Landsberg (2007), and Reason (2004). During the research process, the data were categorized into three main types of cultural identity: “emotional identity,” “historical identity,” and “cognitive identity.” Their interrelations with audience role participation, situational interaction, and narrative strategies were further examined. This methodological framework enabled the transformation of individual audience feedback into a systematic basis for comparison, rather than remaining at the level of fragmented description. (as shown in

Table 1. Phase one: on-site participation and observation stage (fieldwork investigation).

Step	Description
1.1	Participating in the Performances: Attend three immersive theater performances in the role of an “audience member,” documenting personal experiences and on-site interactions.
1.2	Conducting Multi-layered Observations: Simultaneously observe the actors’ guiding strategies, audience participation behaviors, emotional expressions, spatial movements, and verbal/non-verbal responses.
1.3	Writing Field Notes: Immediately after each performance, record first-hand impressions, sensory reactions, spatial details, and the researcher’s own emotional state. Include notes on audience language fragments or bodily reactions.
1.4	Collecting Supplementary Materials: Gather supporting documents, such as programs, character designs, photographs of performance spaces, director’s notes, and audience feedback forms.
1.5	Semi-structured Interviews: Conducted with 36 audience members within five days after the performance

)

The second phase utilized content analysis, examining performance texts, narrative structures, visual design elements, and modes of audience participation across the three productions (as shown in

Table 2. Phase two: data integration, analysis, and literature comparison (content analysis).

Step	Description
2.1	Categorization of Observational Records: Classify data based on five key observational dimensions, including role participation, spatial symbolism, emotional triggers, narrative strategies, and interactive behaviors.
2.2	Thematic Tagging and Preliminary Coding: Annotate the observational data with preliminary themes and cultural meanings, such as memory evocation, emergence of empathy, and cultural appropriation.
2.3	Theoretical Comparative Analysis: Analyze the observational findings in dialogue with the existing literature, such as presence and immediacy (Reason 2004), cultural memory construction (Graham et al. 2016), and elements of immersive design (White 2013).
2.4	Integration of Participant Observation and Content Analysis: Examine how the “audience experience” during participation is transformed into “cultural identity” or “memory practice.”
2.5	Conclusion: This study identifies the connections and mechanisms linking immersive theatre design with audience cultural experience.

).The analysis was structured around four thematic dimensions:

• Audience Role and Subjectivity: Examining the identities and degrees of narrative involvement assumed by the audience to understand mechanisms of subject formation.
• Narrative and Cultural Context: Investigating how the performances represent local histories, collective memories, and cultural symbols, and assessing their cultural functions.
• Cultural Capacity of Space: Analyzing how specific spaces—such as trains, old houses, and museums—serve as catalysts for cultural memory and experiential engagement.
• Affective Resonance and Memory Activation: Identifying how sensory design and interactional mechanisms trigger emotional responses and cultural memory recall.

These thematic categories were applied to the data collected through participant observation, including field notes, visual records, and audience statements. Findings were compared with the existing literature on immersive theatre characteristics, such as interactivity, presence, role-play, and narrative immersion. Through inductive analysis and cross-case comparisons, this study proposes a potential analytical framework linking immersive design with the emergence of meta-experiential effects. It explores how theatre design can stimulate emotional memory retention, the formation of cultural identity, and the awakening of critical thinking—thus demonstrating the potential of immersive experience as a mode of cultural transformation (Figure 1 presents the research process).

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

This study examined the potential of immersive theatre as a site for cultural participation, memory construction, and identity formation. Adopting a qualitative research methodology that combined participant observation and content analysis, this research focused on three Taiwanese immersive theatre productions—The Great Tipsy, Someone, and Ephemeral Light: Taiwan—each embedded with local cultural significance. The central research question asked the following: How does immersive design—through role-based participation, situational interaction, and narrative reconstruction—facilitate the emergence of cultural identity and emotional memory in audiences? Furthermore, can these cultural effects extend beyond the performance itself, resulting in “post-experience effects”? Through a comparative analysis across four key dimensions, this study yielded the following findings:

• Audience Roles and the Emergence of Subjectivity:
  The three productions presented distinct role designs and modes of interaction that influenced audiences’ transition from passive spectators to active participants, thereby generating different levels of subjectivity. The Great Tipsy fostered emotional subjectivity through affective proximity with characters; Someone facilitated reflective subjectivity by engaging audiences in processes of data assemblage and historical reconstruction; while Ephemeral Light: Taiwan guided audiences toward cognitive cultural subjectivity through linear narration and knowledge transmission. These findings indicate that subjectivity is not a byproduct of the viewing process but rather an outcome of deliberate design strategies. Narrative strategy determines the mode of cultural representation and the depth of identification: The three productions adopted different narrative forms—empathic, fragmented, and linear–historical. These narrative strategies shaped not only how audiences processed the content but also how cultural themes were translated and internalized. The degree of interpretive freedom and subjective engagement reflects the politics of cultural memory embedded in each narrative structure.
• Emotional Activation Functions as a Mediating Mechanism for Cultural Memory Construction: Emotion emerged as a crucial trigger for cultural memory and identity, rather than a secondary element of immersive design. Strong emotional stimuli—such as the experience of historical oppression in Someone—prompted ethical reflection and critical thinking, while The Great Tipsy evoked personal memory connections through gentle resonance. In contrast, Ephemeral Light: Taiwan emphasized educational delivery of cultural knowledge, with comparatively weaker affective engagement.
• Emotion and Memory:
  Emotional triggering functions as a catalytic process in cultural memory formation. Someone evoked a sense of historical responsibility; The Great Tipsy promoted projections of everyday memory; and Ephemeral Light: Taiwan leaned toward cognitive absorption of knowledge. This study finds that audiences’ memory and identity are rarely produced by information reception alone but are amplified and sustained through the mediation of emotional intensity. For example, the historical oppression staged in Someone provoked ethical self-reflection, while the affective storytelling in The Great Tipsy triggered the projection of everyday memories. These results demonstrate that emotion is not an accessory element but a mediating process that drives the construction of cultural memory, functioning similarly to what Erll (2011) describes as cultural memory media—transforming ephemeral experiences into meanings with collective continuity.
• Post-Performance Identity Transformation:
  Interview data reveal that identity transformation followed a staged trajectory, moving from immediate emotional reactions to subsequent extensions of thought, shaping audiences’ cultural positions and values. Whether audiences experienced cultural attitude shifts and enduring identification after the performance depended on the depth of interaction and narrative complexity within the participatory process. Audiences of Someone exhibited strong critical identity transformation; The Great Tipsy facilitated situational projection into everyday life; and Ephemeral Light: Taiwan tended toward a museum-like mode of educational absorption. These findings suggest that cultural identity formation is the outcome of post-experiential meaning-making, rather than merely an immediate reaction during the performance. Although current data remain exploratory, examples of “linguistic articulation,” “emotional continuity,” and “self-projection” provide a foundation for future expanded inquiry.

The findings of this study demonstrate that immersive theatre holds significant potential for shaping audience cultural identity and memory construction; however, its effects remain contingent upon design strategies, educational connections, and mechanisms of audience participation. At the level of creative design, practitioners are encouraged to strengthen design thinking oriented toward audience subjectivity, avoiding excessive constraints that may lead to formalized participation. Preserving openness in role assignment and situational framing can enhance interpretive freedom, while the integration of local cultural symbols and spatial memory can deepen cultural resonance. Furthermore, narrative and spatial arrangements should be centered on audience perception and affective triggers, thereby extending the continuity of memory. Given its multi-sensory and multimodal learning characteristics, immersive theatre also shows potential as a platform for cultural education and historical pedagogy. From an empirical research and evaluation perspective, this study recommends the establishment of mechanisms for collecting and tracking audience feedback—such as post-performance interviews, experiential surveys, or online feedback platforms—to facilitate ongoing observation of post-experience effects and provide a basis for design refinement. In doing so, this research not only responds to the practical needs of immersive theatre in the Taiwanese context but also proposes an analytical model that can serve as a cross-cultural reference: a dynamic linkage from “role participation” → “narrative context” → “affective triggers” → “post-experience effects.” This model illustrates how immersive design generates multi-layered forms of cultural identity. It contributes to understanding how immersive theatre, across diverse cultural contexts, can function as a mode of cultural education, identity formation, and collective memory. Moreover, it offers a theoretical framework extendable to international contexts, opening new directions for research on immersive design in cultural practice and educational application.