There has been a rush of activity happening behind the scenes for Here + There, and we have reached the halfway point of this pathfinder. In February, with support of an expert panel, we selected four projects from previous pathfinders to receive further support and funding to develop existing work alongside international collaborators for new audiences and markets.
The ambition is that international prototypes will pioneer new frameworks for international business and collaborations, and test new ways of working internationally. The prototypes and programme of support will enable these companies to position themselves for what might come next.
The activity for each of our prototypes are very different, but in their own ways they each provide a setting for thinking about the future or legacy. Through the grants companies contemplate their next steps and new possibilities for international working, and our newly selected artist will unearth learnings for the region’s future creatives.
So, without delay I am pleased to introduce the company teams embarking on international developments, and our artist in residence.
Here + There Company and Product Grants – Meet the teams!
Image Credit: Jack Offord, The Stick House
The Lantern Room
Partnership: Raucous, Lost & Gone
The Lantern Room R&D is a proof of concept/prototyping project investigating a synchronised cross-Atlantic immersive theatre experience fusing digital technology/mixed reality with live performance. It heralds a new creative collaboration between Raucous and Toronto based immersive company Lost & Gone.
GROW
Partnership: Trigger, Brisbane Festival, SummerWorks, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Academics from UNSW, Kew Gardens
GROW is a project that seeks to debunk known notions of borders, legislation and ownership, exploring current issues around colonialism in a new way. The R&D is on the topic of Bio-Piracy, which is the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials that are native to a particular country or territory.
Image Credit: Evan Dawson
International Festival of Ideas
Partnership: Bristol Ideas, Aké Arts and Book Festival, Toronto International Festival of Authors
Bristol Ideas is committed to international collaboration to find global solutions to the challenges they face through creating new, hybrid, international ideas festivals. Major global issues, including the pandemic and the climate crisis, mean new festival approaches are needed – less reliant on international travel and more focused on digital connections, online debate and international collective problem solving.
Everything is Music
Everything is Music is a location-based digital trail for mobile. It allows visitors to discover the rich musical stories of a town or city, all through an easy to access web-browser platform. The future ambition for the platform is to create city wide trails on a global scale that allow visitors, residents and music enthusiasts to discover the musical stories of these places.