You Are Here

You Are Here

You Are Here is an interdisciplinary project in performance. It explores the question: what alternative models of theatre can develop a framework for artists and audiences to build relationships and cultivate a sense of belonging? You Are Here combines theatre, storytelling, and community building. The project had two phases, titled You are Here: Encounters (YAH 1) and You Are Here (YAH 2). YAH 1 was a series of encounters shared by two strangers, guided by prompts that provided structure and direction. The process generated poetic material which I then collected and translated into a performance. YAH 2, a forty-seven-minute performance. The show was performed by three actors and took place in an intimate gallery space on the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus.

The interconnected experiences of YAH 1 and YAH 2 were designed to explore what happens when different people are brought together to share common ground, even for a few hours. The tools that I developed by doing this research have practical applications for future community engaged theatre projects.