Inspired by the work of Sigmund Freud, WHIST invites you on a journey into the unconscious mind, through the dreams, fears and desires of a fictional family.
This one-hour experience merges Physical Theatre, interactive Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and an art installation, in an environment that blurs the boundaries between consciousness and unconsciousness, reality and fiction, the physical and the virtual.
Your instincts will guide you through a narrative of surreal world, exploring the story from one of the 76 different perspectives.
“WHIST is a boundary breaking piece, future facing in its use of the medium of VR to develop a new kind of narrative. A truly beautiful, compelling and important work.”
VICE, The Creators Project
Note: This is a promenade performance where audiences will be required to wear a Samsung Gear VR headset and headphones.
AΦE
AΦE is an Ashford-based dance company found- ed in 2013 by Aoi Nakamura and Esteban Fourmi with the vision to bring the art of dance closer to audiences. The company's rst major commission WHIST, a dance and Virtual Reality (VR) produc- tion, received its sold-out world premiere in April 2017. Driven by the power of body and movement in space, their productions are environments that allow the audience to enjoy total immersion. Each element in the performance space – the set, per- formers, audience, sound, objects – is part of an ecosystem, carefully constructed to allow audi- ence’s own re ection on the subject explored.
TEAM
Artistic Directors — Esteban Fourmi and Aoi Nakamura (AΦE)
Shoot, VFX and Technology Partner — Happy Finish
Composers — Scott Gibbons, Jozef Van Wissem
Set Designer — James Shaw
3D Sound Designer — Oliver Kadel (1.618Digital)
Dramaturg — Amanda Fromell
Performers — Robert Hayden, Tomislav English, Yen-Ching Lin, Nina Brown, Steve Rimmer
Producer — JiaXuan Hon (Blackwinged Creatives)
Creative Mentor — Jasmin Vardimon
Management Mentor — Ian Ross
Co-produced by University of Kent and tanzhaus nrw Düsseldorf
Supported by Arts Council England and South East Dance