1. Project Summary

AI: Save Our Souls is an immersive science-driven musical that both entertains and educates audiences about artificial intelligence, exploring the risks it poses and how it’s transforming our world. Premiered as a 45-minute showcase at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show blends multigenre music, live theater, and interactive technology to make AI’s dilemmas emotionally accessible. Before each performance, we invited the audience to answer a few questions online (e.g., who they are, how they feel about AI, and what future they would choose). These responses are processed and transformed into part of the show, and each time the final scene changes based on the audience’s input. This fusion of storytelling and real-time AI engagement brings abstract concepts to life in a way that conventional lectures or media cannot.

The Fringe trial run (6 shows) strongly validated the concept. Audience feedback was very positive, with one attendee calling it “fantastic, very timely, intelligent and funny”. Notably, North West End UK’s theatre review gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, praising its inventive, lighthearted take on AI’s impending challenges. This critical and audience acclaim - achieved on a shoestring self-funded budget - highlights the project’s potential. We are now entering a new phase to expand and enhance AI: Save Our Souls for greater impact, with a full-length production, richer educational content, technical upgrades, and a touring plan. We seek £89,330 in funding to realize this next chapter and bring this groundbreaking AI-themed musical to broader audiences across the UK.

2. What Are This Project’s Goals? How Will You Achieve Them?

Our overarching goal is to spark public engagement and critical reflection on AI safety through an unforgettable theatrical experience. We aim to bridge the gap between technical AI discussions and the general public by using story and song to reach hearts and minds. In particular, the project’s primary goals are:

Communicate AI safety concepts accessibly to broad audiences. We will introduce ideas like AI alignment, loss of control, deceptive behavior, and algorithmic persuasion through narrative and music rather than technical lectures. By embedding these concepts in a human story about a programmer facing ethical dilemmas, we make abstract AI risks feel personal and urgent.

Inspire ethical reflection among key stakeholders. The show specifically targets people in positions to influence AI development: engineers, policymakers, tech professionals, educators by portraying relatable scenarios that mirror real-world AI ethics debates. Our protagonist's journey highlights the moral weight of technical choices.

Foster meaningful public dialogue on AI's societal impact. Through post-show discussions, educational materials, and the interactive format itself (where audiences see their own data used in a "personalized propaganda" finale), we create lasting engagement that extends beyond the performance.

Implementation Plan for 2026

Q1-Q2 2026 – Development Phase (January-June)

• Refine script based on Edinburgh Fringe feedback, strengthening character arcs and AI safety messaging

• Develop educational component: create accessible primer materials (glossary, case studies, further learning resources) for website and printed programs

• Upgrade interactive application to process audience input more seamlessly and create more impactful personalized final scenes

• Improve technical infrastructure: invest in professional sound equipment (addressing microphone issues noted in reviews), lighting systems, and projection technology

• Conduct extensive technical rehearsals to test all upgrades

Q2-Q4 2026 – Production and Touring Phase (May-November)

• Assemble professional cast and crew; 

• Undertake intensive 6-week rehearsal period;

• Execute 3 performance tour strategically targeting cities with maximum concentration of AI companies, policymakers, media, research institutions, strong university presence, and tech community;

• Host extended post-show Q&A sessions with AI researchers at each performance to deepen audience engagement and learning.

Q4 2026 – Evaluation and Future Planning

• Collect comprehensive audience feedback and engagement metrics;

• Document educational impact through surveys and follow-up interviews;

• Pursue partnerships with educational organizations and tech companies for sustained engagement;

• Plan potential expansion for 2027 based on learnings and demonstrated impact.

Why This Approach Works

Theatre provides unique affordances for AI education that lectures and articles cannot match. As the North West End UK reviewer observed, the show "entertains" while addressing AI fears, making complex topics emotionally accessible. Our interactive element (using audiences' own data against them) creates visceral understanding of AI's persuasive capabilities.

The 3-performance model allows us to concentrate maximum resources on production quality and deep local engagement. By strategically selecting cities with the highest concentrations of AI research, tech industry presence, and policy influence, we maximize impact per show while demonstrating international scalability. This focused approach also allows more preparation time per venue, deeper relationships with local AI safety communities, and the ability to refine the production between performances based on real-time feedback.

3. How Will This Funding Be Used?

We are requesting £89,330 / $119,702 (exchange rate: 1 GBP = 1.34 USD) to execute the 2026 development and touring phase. This budget is based on our Edinburgh Fringe experience and professional industry standards, carefully calibrated to deliver maximum impact through 3 strategically located performances.

The budget document outlines costs for a production project with expenses divided into two main categories: Production and Performance costs.

The Production phase has a total budget of £58,310 / $78,135, broken down as follows:

• Creative & production team fees £31,700 ($42,478),

• Production staff £1,100 ($1,474),

• Rehearsals £9,160 ($12,274),

• Technical equipment £4,050 ($5,427),

• Costumes, set & props £4,100 ($5,494),

• Promotion expenses £1,550 ($2,077),

• Other production costs (incl. Contingency fund) £6,650 ($8,911).

Performance Costs (Per Show): each performance is budgeted at £10,340 / $13,856:

• Venue &infrastructure £1,600 ($2,144),

• Performance staff £600 ($804),

• Performers & Artists £3,040 ($4,074),

• Logistics & Coverage £5,100 ($6,834).

The project plans for three performances. When combining the one-time production costs with the per-performance expenses multiplied by three shows, the total project cost amounts to £89,330 ($119,702).

This budget ensures that every pound is strategically invested to create a powerful, professional production that can effectively tour to key UK cities, maximizing our impact on the crucial conversation around AI safety and human agency.

4. Who Is on Your Team? What's Your Track Record on Similar Projects?

Lead Creator – Igor Labutin

Writer, Composer, AI Researcher

Igor uniquely combines deep AI expertise with creative talent. As a machine learning researcher, he is a two-time finalist of the ICPC World Programming Championship and has published research in neural networks, including a paper at NeurIPS. This technical foundation ensures the show's AI safety content is scientifically grounded.

Simultaneously, Igor is an accomplished composer capable of orchestrating across genres, from hip-hop and rock to orchestral pop and electronic music. This stylistic range mirrors the AI's evolution in the show, moving from mechanical precision to emotional complexity.

AI: Save Our Souls represents Igor's theatrical debut. In just six months (February-August 2025), he wrote the complete script, composed all original music, assembled an international team, and produced the Edinburgh Fringe premiere.

Director – Victoria Klipova

Victoria brings extensive international theatre experience to the project. She has created or directed 30+ productions across 7 countries, earning awards at festivals in the UK, Canada, and Russia. Her track record includes staging at prestigious venues like Theatre of Vakhtangov (Moscow), directing for audiences of 500+ at Istanbul's historical stage, and achieving sold-out performances (Belgrade production sold out one week before premiere).

Victoria's expertise in immersive theatre and visual storytelling proved essential at Edinburgh Fringe. Her experience with technologically complex productions ensures seamless integration of AI: Save Our Souls' interactive and multimedia elements.

2025 Cast 

Several cast members from our Edinburgh Fringe have expressed interest in continuing for 2026 if schedules align. Regardless, we will ensure all performers are trained in both musical theatre and the interactive aspects of the show.

Additional 2026 Team

• Musical Director

• Set, Lighting, Sound, and Costume Designers (professionals experienced with technologically complex shows)

• Technical crew specialists

• Educational content consultant (to develop accessible AI safety materials)

• AI safety advisors from the research community (for script accuracy and participation in post-show discussions)

Track Record

The Edinburgh Fringe 2025 premiere provides strong proof of concept:

Execution Under Constraints: With zero institutional backing, £25,000 budget, and six-month development timeline, we successfully mounted six performances at the world's largest arts festival.

Audience Validation: Despite minimal marketing (£430), we sold over 50% of tickets, indicating genuine public interest in AI-themed theatre.

Critical Reception: North West End UK awarded 4 out of 5 stars, praising the show as "inventively lighthearted and fun" while noting it "accomplishes everything it could" as "a fun, original musical."

Evidence-Based Improvement: The review provided constructive feedback on technical elements (audio clarity, projection timing) that we've incorporated into our 2026 planning, demonstrating our capacity for iteration and learning.

5. What Are the Most Likely Causes and Outcomes If This Project Fails?

We have identified three primary risk categories and comprehensive mitigation strategies:

Risk 1: Insufficient Funding or Budget Overrun

Causes: Failure to secure the full requested funding or unforeseen costs exceeding budget allocations.

Outcomes: Forced to scale down production quality or reduce tour scope. A compromised production would lack the immersive technical quality needed for impact and fail to achieve our educational mission.

Mitigation:

• Detailed budget based on actual Edinburgh costs plus professional industry rates;

• Contingency fund (£ 5,000) built into production budget;

• Actively pursuing multiple funding sources simultaneously (arts grants, tech company sponsorships, educational foundations);

• If partial funding of approximately £80,000 is secured, we could either reduce production development costs or reduce the number of performances from three to two while maintaining quality.

Risk 2: Technical or Production Difficulties

Causes: The show's innovative elements (live AI integration, audience data processing, heavy multimedia use) introduce technical complexity. App glitches, projection coordination issues, or general production problems could occur.

Outcomes: Technical failures could significantly diminish audience experience. Major malfunctions could generate negative reviews, undermining credibility for future work.

Mitigation:

• Substantial budget allocation to professional-grade equipment;

• Extensive testing period: at least 6-week rehearsal schedule includes dedicated technical rehearsals with all systems fully integrated;

• Hiring experienced technical crew with proven complex show expertise;

• Contingency plans: pre-recorded fallback content if live app segment malfunctions;

• Each venue receives advance technical visits to ensure equipment compatibility;

• Gap between performances allows time to address any technical issues discovered in early shows.

Risk 3: Low Audience Engagement or Reception

Causes: Difficulty attracting audiences outside festival context; public AI interest could wane; marketing might not cut through noise in competitive theatre landscape.

Outcomes: Poor attendance means educational mission fails, empty seats equal missed opportunities to inform and inspire. Low ticket sales strain sustainability and discourage future funders.

Mitigation:

• Robust outreach strategy leveraging show's novel AI-driven element as unique hook;

• Highly strategic targeting: selecting cities with absolute highest concentrations of target audiences;

• Utilizing existing press relationships;

• Marketing to specific high-probability communities: AI safety organizations, computer science departments, tech meetup groups;

• Each performance includes a guaranteed extended post-show Q&A with prominent AI researchers;

• Partnership approach: working with universities and AI organizations to drive group bookings.

The 3-performance focused approach inherently reduces several risks by enabling maximum quality control, deep relationship building in each city, substantial time to develop partnerships, and financial predictability through lower variable costs. With only 3 cities, we can do personalized outreach to key individuals (AI lab directors, policymakers, tech executives) for attendance.

We consider catastrophic failure unlikely given our validated proof-of-concept, careful planning, and ultra-focused approach. We remain vigilant and flexible, ready to troubleshoot and adapt to ensure core purpose achievement even amid obstacles.

6. How Much Money Have You Raised in the Last 12 Months, and From Where?

In the past year, our project has been supported primarily by personal investment. The 2025 Edinburgh Fringe production was financed almost entirely by lead creator Igor Labutin’s personal savings – approximately £25,000 was self-funded to cover writing, composing, travel, casting, and the bare-bones staging of the initial show. This was a significant personal commitment that enabled the project to move from idea to reality. 

Crucially, we have not received any grants or major external funding in the last 12 months. The project has not yet been the beneficiary of institutional funding, which is why the Manifund grant is so pivotal for our next steps. We did apply to a few arts and tech funding opportunities (and we continue to pursue such avenues), but no new grants were awarded in this period. 

Essentially, the work so far (script development, music production, and the Fringe pilot) was achieved on a shoestring budget. Unfortunately, operating far below standard industry budgets inevitably affected technical and production quality, underscoring the need for proper funding going forward.

The Manifund grant would represent our first institutional funding, transforming the project from a passionate self-funded experiment into a professionally supported educational initiative. Success with Manifund will significantly strengthen applications to other funders by demonstrating a validated concept, initial institutional backing from a respected AI-focused funder, and a clear execution path.