We Are Now Festival

We Are Now festival takes place at Rich Mix Shoreditch 1st and 2nd of September, exploring the creative use of technology in performing arts to create sensory experiences. The two day event will host a dynamic programme of boundary pushing theatre, interactive installations, 1-1 virtual reality performance, interactive audio theatre and a late night show harnessing the sonic capabilities of the Tesla Coil. Performing over the course of the weekend will be the likes of Circa69, XFRMR by Robbie Thomson, Silvia Mercuriali, Tit4Twat Theatre, Produced Moon and exhibits from graduates of Digital Art Computing at Goldsmiths. Tickets are £55 for the full weekend with day passes starting at £25, and individual shows starting at £5.

This one of a kind event will highlight emerging creative talent alongside established names with the aim of offering artists a platform to push the boundaries of their specialism, whether it be art, theatre or performance, that showcase the endless creative possibilities of technology in performing arts.

Internationally renowned Circa69 will be premiering their groundbreaking VR theatre experiences to enthral festival goers in London, whilst Tit4Twat will perform their critically acclaimed 'Losers' show - one of the highlights of the Camden fringe this year. A main highlight of the event, Cryptic's Robbie Thomson will explore the possibilities of harnessing the Tesla Coil as a musical instrument with his XFRMR show. We Are Now kicks off with the opening theatre show on the Friday, a work in development from Sleight Of Hand supported by Pervasive Media Studio, Bristol and Theatre Delicatessen. This will be paired with a post-show Salon Talk led by academics, psychologists and theatre makers which will explore the use of technology as a tool for empathy and creativity.

We Are Now was established by Megan Kieran; a creative producer with a passion for exploring the use of technology to connect to other people and the world in general. She says "We are very excited to present this year’s programme for We Are Now. The work is incredibly strong and truly represents where we can go with this sensational next wave of performance. We hope to immerse audiences, to invite new sensations and experiences and to provoke thought and discussion around how we can reclaim our use of technologies and harness their creative potential.”

We Are Now is supported by Arts Council England and is a winner of the DBACE Awards for Creative Enterprise 2017.