Celebrating May Day and advancing year-round a culture of solidarity at the intersection of labour and art in Mi’kma’ki.
Description
XOTHEATRE
Immerse yourself into a vision of the future…
Take part in a 30 minutes shared experience combining VR and an unsuspecting performance. It is a cautionary fable about the day Nova Scotia becomes an island, told through a combination of virtual reality and group choreography in which watching and performing signify the high cost of human migration when the exploited ocean takes back what is hers.
The experience splits the audience into two groups. The first group transforms into the protagonists, a flock of little white seabirds, performing a guided walk along a narrow landscape as directed by the VR headset, which depicts the rising ocean and disappearing shoreline. The second group waits in line, witnessing the flock without fully grasping the crisis unfolding inside the headset. Then, they join the dance, becoming part of the flock. The cycle continues until no one is left or we must leave the venue.
Participation:
The experience launches every 20 minutes, starting at 1pm. Audience members are invited into The Bus Stop Theatre, where they will be greeted by and given instructions. Once ready, a group of 5 participants will enter the playing space to learn how to use the VR headsets. The VR experience is approximately 15 minutes. Groups waiting to participate are invited to witness the group ahead of them travel through the experience as a flock. Afterward, participants are also invited to stay in the theatre as audience members for as long as they would like to witness the experience from the outside, sitting in the theatre’s audience seating. Individuals can stay as long as they want, watching multiple performance cycles.
Artists:
Dustin Harvey: Creative Director
Dana Dansereau: Producer
1UP (formerly Arcade XR): Digital Production
Sue Goyette: Poetry
Rich Aucoin: Music
Graeme Campbell: Audio Engineering
Millefiore Clarkes: Film Production
Aidan Searle: Graphic Design
Colleen MacIssaac: Illustration + Animation
Gus and Lia Harvey: Narration
ASL interpretation will be provided for this event.
Childcare will be provided for this event. Please use this REGISTRATION FORM.
Date & Time
Sun., May 4, 2025 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Venue Details
Bus Stop Theatre Co-op
2203 Gottingen StreetHalifax, Nova Scotia B3K 3B5
