Black and Yellow Lines of barrier tape by Marco Verch; Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Continuing the conversation on safety and consent in the immersive world

This past week saw a bombshell Buzzfeed report on sexual assault committed by patrons upon performers and staff at Sleep No More, covering 17 incidents in a story that sent shockwaves through the community.

As you may know, the topics of safety and consent are important to us here at No Proscenium and we’ve covered aspects of both physical safety and psychological safety in immersive works the past.

This week, No Proscenium contributor Leah Ableson also offered her perspective on the challenges of creating consent and what we owe each other as a growing community.

The safety of everyone involved in immersive works — be they cast, crew, or audience — matters, greatly. From immersive theatre to extreme haunts to escape rooms, these issues affect the entire spectrum. Addressing these foundational matters head on, from communicating rules of audience engagement to enforcing removal policies to rehearsing emergency procedures, is the only way we can all ensure that this kind of work continues to be made in the future.

We encourage everyone involved in the world of immersive works to continue this conversation in the weeks to come: to ask the hard questions, to tell their stories, to share best practices, and to learn from each other.

As always, if you know of unsafe conditions that are not being addressed properly by producers, we encourage you to tell someone. It doesn’t have to be NoPro, but our door is always open. If you are disclosing an incident, reach out to one of our editors (Noah, Kathryn, Jessica, Anthony) directly. Your identity will not be disclosed or published without consent.

If you are interested in writing about the issue, feel free to send a pitch to us.

Regarding Safety & ConsentThe safety of performers, crew and audiences in immersive productions matters to us.noproscenium.comConstructing Consent In ImmersiveBuilding a better trust between creators, staff, and audiencenoproscenium.comNoPro Podcast 117 — On Safewords and Consent w/ Dr. Liz PowellA kind of psychological sequel to episode 116 on physical safety.noproscenium.comNoPro Podcast Episode 116 — SafetyWe’re joined by the designers behind Delusion and Creep to talk about what audiences & performers should expect from…noproscenium.com

SHOWS, EVENTS, & EXPERIENCES (NEWSWIRE)

Austin: The Atrium (SXSW)

Boston: Blackthorn Winter; Keep Your Garter Up

Calgary: Conduct

LA: Safehouse ’77; Happy Place; Alien Zoo

Miami: Museum of Ice Cream

NYC: What Immersive Theater Can Teach Game Devs (IndieCade East); Aces & Operatives

Philadelphia: The Fleecing

SF: Counting Sheep; Wonderland; Abide; Color Factory (Extension)

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Sydney: Visiting Hours

REVIEWS

Both our own, and from around the web!

Other Worlds Than This: Traversing The VOID in ‘Secrets of the Empire’Our look at the Star Wars hyper reality experience (A Virtual NoPro Adventure)noproscenium.comREVIEW: 'At the Illusionist's Table'"We've all heard of dinner theater, but I thought that this was a way of pushing it further - by integrating illusion…www.nwaonline.comEscape Room In A Box: The Werewolf Experiment - The Mattel Edition - Room Escape ArtistThis is the third edition of this game to arrive in the mail. We wrote about the first one in February 2016. It was a…roomescapeartist.comSéance | An Immersive ExperienceA shipping container at Elizabeth Quay, blending in with the eclectic temporary FringeWorld stalls of The Palace…performing.artshub.com.auDance and acrobatics save the plot in this immersive UnderworldBecoming Shades is one of several shows headlining VAULT Festival 2018. Billed as London's answer to Edinburgh Fringe…felixonline.co.uk"Julius Caesar," "Network," and Trump's Immersive-Entertainment ShowThere are two ways to see the new production of "Julius Caesar," directed by Nicholas Hytner, that opened at London's…www.newyorker.comVault Festival 2018: Think of England | Theatre reviewThe dark, industrial vaults beneath Waterloo supply the perfect backdrop for Think of England, a story set in a 1940s…www.theupcoming.co.ukDreamscape’s Alien Zoo Creates A Sense Of Awe And WonderWhen I arrive at the upscale Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles, I only know the broad background of Dreamscape…t.co

STORIES

Performers And Staffers At "Sleep No More" Say Audience Members Have Sexually Assaulted ThemAudience members wander through dozens of elaborately decorated rooms as dancers perform a blood-and-sex filled…www.buzzfeed.comREA Weekly Roundup - February 4, 2018 - Room Escape ArtistIf you're enjoying the Super Bowl, check out the featured review below! Announcements We're looking forward to…roomescapeartist.comImmersive Design Summit 2018When you work in an extremely niche field like we do, it can often feel like you are on your own. You become aware of…interactiveplaylab.comEpisode 71 - Dirty Tricks at Camp Whitsit and a 50 Hour Drive By The Wolseley Institute - My Haunt…Dirty Tricks at Camp Whitsit and a 50 Hour Drive By The Wolseley Institute In this episode, we look back at our…www.myhauntlife.comWhat is Interactive, Really?The speed of human technological innovation is to me, unfathomable. It is a world unto itself. This state of affairs is…interactiveplaylab.comA.I. as Auteur: Interactive 'Frankenstein' Experience Shows How Artificial Intelligence Could Be…In this dispatch from a student at MIT's Open Documentary Lab, an artificial intelligence technology learns how to be…www.indiewire.comWhy Gesture is the Next Big Thing in DesignWith new cameras, sensors, and AI, it’s time for design to get physicalwww.ideo.comVIDEO: Go inside Lost Spirits Distillery, the "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory" of alcohol…For the past eight years, the Lost Spirits brand has made a distinguished name for itself by using advanced production…www.insidethemagic.netA.R.T. Artists Real Talk: #17 Immersive Design Summit RecapListen to some drunken (or in Noah's case punchdrunk) conversation between host Jacob Patterson and friends after…artistsrealtalk.libsyn.comBlindfolded and nameless, audiences get a taste of human trafficking in SK!NYour possessions - phone, wallet, bag - have been confiscated and your height, weight and physical abilities assessed…www.theage.com.auGrabbing Virtual Objects with the HaptX Glove (Formerly AxonVR)The HaptX Glove that was shown at Sundance was one of the most convincing haptics experiences that I've had in VR. While…t.coThe Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started in Virtual RealityA curated collection of virtual reality links and resources.medium.com

THE BIZ

This Is Not A Theatre CompanyWe stage dinner parties, podplays, site-specific theatrical productions, and other artistic events.bit.lyWorkshopsPlease contact us for pricing for intensives, custom workshops, and options for groups larger than 25. We work…www.odysseyworks.orgEducationCreators of Site-Specific, Immersive, and Experiential Performancewww.thirdrailprojects.com

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