TRACTION · Project

Digital Co-Creation Toolset That Helps Arts Organizations Produce Content With Communities

digitalTestedTRL 6Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you want to create a show or performance, but instead of a handful of professionals doing everything, you bring in people from the community — migrants, young people, rural residents — and let them help shape the story. TRACTION built a digital toolkit that makes this kind of collaborative creation possible, with smart editing tools, media capture, and immersive formats. They tested it in three very different settings: inner-city Barcelona, a youth prison in Portugal, and rural Ireland. The result is a set of digital tools that let cultural organizations co-produce content with audiences who would never normally set foot in a theater.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved (ES, FR, IE, NL, PT)

real-world pilot sites tested

toolset prototype iterations delivered

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Cultural organizations across Europe face shrinking and aging audiences, with opera and performing arts increasingly seen as elitist and disconnected from diverse communities. At the same time, social integration programs lack engaging, creative tools that give marginalized groups genuine agency. There is a gap between the digital production tools available to professionals and the participatory methods needed to bring communities into the creative process.

The solution

What was built

A digital co-creation toolset built over 3 iterations — from initial to final prototype — featuring a collaborative front-end, media capturing functionality, and smart editing tools. The toolset was designed for arts professionals and community members to produce content together, and was validated across 3 pilot sites in Spain, Portugal, and Ireland.

Audience

Who needs this

Opera houses and theaters investing in audience development and community engagementInteractive and immersive media production studiosMunicipal cultural departments running social inclusion programsNGOs and social enterprises working with migrant or at-risk youth communitiesDigital platform companies building participatory content creation tools

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Cultural and Performing Arts

any

Target: Opera houses, theaters, and cultural institutions seeking audience development

If you are a cultural venue struggling with declining or aging audiences — this project developed a collaborative digital toolset tested across 3 real-world pilots that lets marginalized communities co-create performances with your artists. Instead of just marketing to new demographics, you give them creative ownership, which builds lasting engagement and opens new public funding streams tied to social impact.

Media and Digital Content Production

SME

Target: Interactive media studios and immersive content producers

If you are a digital media company looking for tools to produce participatory and immersive audiovisual content — TRACTION built a production toolset with smart editing, media capture, and collaborative front-end features refined over 3 prototype iterations. The tools were designed for non-professionals to contribute meaningfully, which means lower production barriers for community-driven content at scale.

Social Enterprise and Community Development

any

Target: NGOs, social enterprises, and municipal programs focused on integration

If you are a social enterprise or local government running integration programs for migrants or at-risk youth — TRACTION tested its co-creation methods in a youth prison in Leiria and with migrant communities in Barcelona, proving that participatory arts production can be a concrete tool for social and economic integration. The 9-partner consortium across 5 countries documented replicable processes you can adapt.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt the TRACTION toolset?

Based on available project data, no pricing or licensing model is published. The toolset went through 3 development iterations (initial, intermediate, final) as a publicly funded RIA project. Contact the coordinator to discuss access terms — open-source release is common for EU-funded tools but not confirmed here.

Can this scale beyond small community pilots?

The project tested across 3 distinct pilot sites in 3 countries (Spain, Portugal, Ireland) with very different communities. This cross-context validation suggests the tools and methods are adaptable, though scaling to commercial deployment would require further engineering. The consortium included 2 industry partners who could support that transition.

Who owns the IP and can I use these tools commercially?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a 9-partner consortium led by Vicomtech, a Spanish technology center. IP ownership typically stays with the consortium under EU rules. Commercial licensing would need to be negotiated with the coordinator directly.

What exactly was built — is there a working product?

The project delivered a Final TRACTION Toolset described as a complete prototype with collaborative front-end, media capturing functionality, and smart editing tools. It was developed over 3 iterations with increasing capability. This is a functional prototype, not a commercial product.

How long did it take to develop and test?

The project ran for 3 years (2020–2022) with 36 total deliverables produced. The toolset alone went through 3 staged iterations from initial to final prototype. Real-world testing happened in parallel across the 3 pilot sites.

Is there regulatory or compliance value in using this?

Based on available project data, the tools support social inclusion objectives aligned with EU cultural policy and integration mandates. Organizations applying for EU or national cultural funding may strengthen their proposals by demonstrating participatory methods like those validated in TRACTION's 3 pilot communities.

What technical support is available?

The consortium of 9 partners across 5 countries includes 2 research organizations and 2 universities with deep expertise in visual interaction technologies. Vicomtech, the coordinator, is a technology center specializing in visual communication. Post-project support would need to be arranged directly.

Consortium

Who built it

The 9-partner consortium spans 5 countries (Spain, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal) with a balanced mix: 2 industry partners, 2 universities, 2 research organizations, and 3 other entities. The industry ratio is 22%, which is modest but typical for a culturally-focused Research and Innovation Action. The coordinator, Vicomtech, is a Spanish SME and technology center specializing in visual interaction and communication — a credible technical lead. The relatively low industry presence means commercialization would likely require additional business partners, but the cross-country spread and diverse partner types gave the pilots genuine variety across 3 very different social contexts.

FUNDACION CENTRO DE TECNOLOGIAS DE INTERACCION VISUAL Y COMUNICACIONES VICOMTECHCoordinator · ES
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITYparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES
STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTENparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

Vicomtech (ES) — search for TRACTION project coordinator at Vicomtech to find the lead contact

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION CENTRO DE TECNOLOGIAS DE INTERACCION VISUAL Y COMUNICACIONES VICOMTECH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how TRACTION's co-creation tools could work for your organization? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the development team and help assess fit for your use case.

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