World First: AI Glasses with real time subtitles and translation debut at Holland Festival
Non-Dutch speakers and people with hearing loss read via the glasses the spoken text of the actors as subtitles in their preferred language, while watching The Seasons. A theatrical marathon by Het Nationale Theater based on the books by Scottish author Ali Smith. The launch was met with great enthusiasm, with visitors expressing surprise and appreciation for the possibilities offered by real-time subtitling and translation. "I am very enthusiastic and positive about the glasses, especially about the speed and accuracy of the subtitles. As someone who is severely hard of hearing and a great lover of theatre, this is the first time I’ve felt like I’ve truly experienced a play in its entirety. I’m absolutely delighted with this discovery," said one of the visitors, John Retel Helmrich.
A new concept for smart glasses
Currently surtitles are rarely used in theatres due to the labor-intensive process of preloading scripts and showing the text. The innovation of LiveText allows for subtitles in 223 languages on demand, including those with different reading directions, characters or alphabets. This technology has global applications, enabling people who don't speak the local language, or who have hearing loss, to attend and enjoy theater performances using smart glasses. An estimated one in five people worldwide experience some degree of hearing loss. Although initially developed for theatre, the technology has broader potential applications, such as multilingual conferences or international live events.
How the technology works
What makes this solution unique is that the subtitles are generated directly from the actors’ voices. The sound (spoken or sung) is transmitted via each actor’s individual microphone to the audio mixing console and then to the software. The software converts the spoken words into real-time text—translated if necessary—and sends it directly to the smart glasses worn by the audience. The text appears at the same visual distance as the actors on stage, creating a calm and seamless viewing experience. Different colors are used to indicate which character is speaking.
A performing arts innovation
Het Nationale Theater created the concept and has developed the technology over the past few years in collaboration with partner XRAI, using Dante technology. Dan Scarfe, CEO and Founder of XRAI: “Partnering with Het Nationale Theater to bring LiveText to life has been an extraordinary milestone for us. Seeing our AI and smart glasses used in such a creative and meaningful way shows the true power of inclusive technology. With the integration of Dante by Audinate, we’ve been able to ensure audio precision and reliability at a professional theatre level - making seamless, multilingual live subtitling not just possible, but beautifully effortless. This project exemplifies how innovation, when paired with purpose, can break barriers and open doors for everyone.”
Cees Debets, managing director of Het Nationale Theater: "We’re proud to have launched our world-first innovation, LiveText, at the internationally renowned Holland Festival. It marks a major step toward making theatre truly accessible to all. The National Theatre actively shares the knowledge behind this innovation with theatres and producers both in the Netherlands and abroad. The broader its adoption across the industry, the more people can enjoy the performing arts without barriers."
Emily Ansenk, managing director of Holland Festival: “Being able to offer this technology at the Holland Festival is a meaningful step toward a more inclusive performing arts experience. As a festival, we are committed to being accessible to as many different people as possible, in as many different ways as possible.”
A Pioneer in Accessibility
Het Nationale Theater has long been committed to making theatre more accessible for people with disabilities. This project builds on its existing services and was developed with support from Cultuurloket DigitALL. Over the past five years, the technology has been thoroughly tested and refined in close collaboration with its target audience. Het Nationale Theater will continue to improve the service in the coming period to meet user needs. LiveText marks a technological breakthrough in the performing arts and will be offered at no additional fees at Het Nationale Theater’s venues and on tour starting this fall.