Inside South Florida sat down with two powerhouse women leading the charge for immersive art in the 305: Tanya Bravo, founder of Juggerknot Theatre Company, and Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of Live Arts Miami. Together, they’ve launched an ambitious new project: the Miami Immersive Intensive, a four-day workshop designed to empower local artists with the tools, training, and inspiration to create boundary-pushing, audience-centered work.
But, what exactly is immersive art? Tanya explains: “Immersive art really puts the audience at the center. Instead of taking things passively like when you go to a traditional proscenium theater, where you sit back and watch the show, here, you’re part of the show. It gives the audience a lot of agency. They get to make choices, and it’s a lot of fun. It kind of gamifies the experience, and you can do this across all different mediums.” Whether it’s through theater, dance, technology, or visual storytelling, immersive art breaks the fourth wall, making audiences active participants.
Kathryn emphasized why launching this kind of training in Miami matters: “When we talk about the arts in South Florida, we have to look at the entire ecosystem. And that's not just those amazing performances we get to attend. It's about where it all starts, and that's oftentimes the training. Many times, local artists don't have the opportunities here and have to travel elsewhere. So it's really crucial that we build these experiences here and now, so we can get the great art that we need in our city at the same time.”
The Miami Immersive Intensive is more than just a workshop, it’s a collaborative lab that brings global experts to South Florida. Attendees will learn directly from creators behind iconic immersive projects like Disney’s Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser and Meow Wolf, known for their groundbreaking work across the country.
Running across four hands-on days, the Intensive offers local artists the chance to get “on their feet,” building, testing, and exploring multiple approaches to immersive storytelling. It’s not a sit-and-watch conference, it’s a “do-the-work” experience.
Whether you’re a performer, director, designer, or creative instigator, this is your chance to help shape the future of immersive art in Miami, and be part of the movement building it from the ground up.
And spots are going fast. “There are only 20 tickets left,” Tanya shared. “So hurry up!” Learn more and register at: MiamiImmersiveIntensive.com.
