FoolishPeople

Conway Hall and FoolishPeople present VIRULENT EXPERIENCE

 

London 14/5/12 Announcing – A unique collaboration between Conway Hall and FoolishPeople, Virulent Experience is an immersive theatre and art event that explores the evolution and devolution of ethics, morals and the impact to the mind, imagination and free will of humans via a fictional future version of London on the eve of the 2040 Olympics.

FoolishPeople will transform the historic Conway Hall – a landmark of London’s independent, intellectual, political and cultural life – into The Museum of Virulent Experience, housing the entire banned index of thoughts, emotions and desires in an age where Information Prohibition has begun.

John Harrigan – Artistic Director of FoolishPeople and writer of Virulent Experience comments:

“I am immensely proud to be working with Conway Hall. Their work has never been more important; providing a space for free thought within society is imperative if we are to be brave enough to imagine potential future utopias, where shared ethics and morals are vital to humankind. With Virulent Experience, FP will continue the work we started with Dead Language and transport our audience to one of the many possible futures we may inherit if society and populist culture continues to attempt to alter the perception, imagination and free will of the human mind."

Dr Jim Walsh – CEO at Conway Hall says:

“I am delighted that Conway Hall is working with FoolishPeople on this hugely important and innovative project. The ethical issues that Virulent Experience will explore, and provide an immediate focus for, can no longer be overlooked. It is vital for all us to come to terms with, and start to question, where the ever increasing flow of information will lead and at what cost. The creativity that FoolishPeople bring to this issue is second to none and I am overjoyed that Conway Hall can play its part in this unique and World class endeavour.”

Virulent Experience opens on Monday 6th August 2012, and runs throughout August.

Tickets available from www.conwayhall.org.uk/virulent-experience

ABOUT VIRULENT EXPERIENCE

London 2040, society is crippled under the weight of a population addicted to novelty and impermanence. Nothing lasts when every dream or nightmare imagined can be crafted and created. To stem the loss of reason in a post-real world, time and access to the ever expanding human experience is restricted. New forms of experience are policed by the Ministry of Information, in a last ditch attempt to control a world that is eating its own meaning.

Experience of that which is categorised as NOVELTY is monitored under the Human Emotional Experience Act of 2032, where total access to information is strictly limited within a monthly data plan and the most virulent forms of experience and knowledge are banned.

The age of Information Prohibition has begun.

Forced back into the real world, language devolves into hybrid forms, to cater for a generation who only understand meaning when communicated in hash tags and status updates.

Yet there is one place where all you can eat reality still exists and every banned emotion, experience, dream and nightmare can still be made real: the Virulent Museum of Human Experience, housing the entire banned index of thoughts, emotions and desires.

Now, on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 2040 London Olympics, Eliza, a certifiable Experience Junkie, who has spent a lifetime imprisoned by her out of control desires has come to the museum. There, she must convince Socrates, hoodie and outlaw philosopher, a living novelty born of the 2011 London riots, to help her release a secret hidden deep inside the museum. A machine which may save Eliza from her own mind and offer the human, a wayward animal, a method with which to regain the truth it has lost.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

ABOUT CONWAY HALL
Conway Hall is a non-profit venue hosting a variety of lectures, classes, performances, community and social events. It is renowned as a hub for London’s independent intellectual and cultural life.

More information at www.conwayhall.org.uk

ABOUT FOOLISH PEOPLE
FoolishPeople create and engineer immersive events, theatre, collaborative live art, books and film.
 Over a number of years, we have developed a practice Theatre of Manifestation that transforms entire buildings into dreamlike worlds that living characters inhabit.

FoolishPeople has collaborated with hundreds of artists worldwide and produced work in conventional theatres, galleries and site-specific venues throughout the UK, also touring to America and Amsterdam. Our work has been sought out and commissioned by organisations such as the BBC, Secret Cinema, Arcola Theatre and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

FoolishPeople is currently in post-production on their first feature film Strange Factories: http://www.strangefactories.com

PRESS CONTACTS:

Lucy Harrigan
Producer

e: [email protected]
t: 07894 021108

Dr Jim Walsh
Chief Executive Officer
e: [email protected]
t: 07786 968250

Virulent Experience Art © Jase Daniels © 2012. facebook.com/jasedanielsart

Victor (John Harrigan)

A writer who has witnessed the power of stories.

He has spent his life tracking fiction's subtle shadows, finding inspiration in narratives within the lives of the friends he shares the stage with.

Victor has no memory of the fire that destroyed the theatre.

 

John Harrigan (Writer / Director / "Victor")

John Harrigan is a writer, director and artist who founded FoolishPeople in 1989 and co-founded the Weaponized imprint in 2010.

John's work centres around the creation of film, ritual, theatre and immersive events which aim to raise a numinous experience within the witness.

His work has been commissioned by clients such as the BBC and Secret Cinema, produced throughout the UK and toured internationally to the US and the Netherlands. His scripts have been presented at such venues as the ICA, The Horse Hospital and Arcola Theatre.

johnharrigan.com

Rose (Lucy Harrigan)

Rose is a gifted dancer and performer who has sacrificed a peaceful existence to a life committed to art.

She understands how devoted Victor is to his work, sometimes at a cost to their relationship.

Rose manifests the character "Light" within the fable Fool's Forest.

Light can be just as dangerous as darkness in its pursuit for absolute power over the story.

 

Lucy Harrigan (Producer / "Rose)

Having graduated from the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Lucy joined the core creative group of FoolishPeople in February 2006. Since then she has produced as well as performed in all of their projects and worked in known and site-specific venues across the UK, in America and Amsterdam.

Some of the productions she has produced and performed in include Dead Language at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Terra: Extremitas at the NDSM-werf in Amsterdam, Cirxus at Arcola Theatre, Desecration at The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham and The Basement - Ward 12 whilst working with Secret Cinema in their production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Lucy co-founded publishing imprint Weaponized in 2010 and has edited all of their released book titles.

Sam (David Allard)

Sam manifests "Mr Punch" within Victor's work Fools Forest. He's learnt to give his mind and body to the character, often at a cost to his own sanity. The thousand year pain of the Mr Punch archetype has set deep within his fragmented mind.

Sam hopes Victor will one day allow him to introduce elements of the phantospectral display that he so dearly loves within the performance of Fools Forest.

Sam does not believe his fireworks are to blame for the fire which destroyed the theatre.

 

David Allard ("Sam")

Little Boy Lost. The Sun will come out, tomorrow...will it? How do you know? Start out life as an aspiring actor, get beguiled by an industry that feeds on itself. Having had much experience in this and that, and trained at that prestigious School over there, made sanctuary within FoolishPeople camp, found an outlet to exhume a broken childhood, disenchanted ideals, world confusions, and got missing within the creative work. This is what was lost and found. You need it more than you think. Some have other means.

Previous roles with FoolishPeople include "Piano Boy"  in Terra Incognita, "Edward" in Desecration, "Mr Shine" in Dead Language and "Archie" in The Basement - Ward 12.

Lady Thayn (Tereza Kamenicka)

Lady Thayn watches over the Settlement for Stronheim.

She conveys Stronheim's wishes via the Radiograms she receives from the factory and waits patiently for the Festival of Memories to commence.

She is conscious of Stronheim's presence in the ancient bricks and mortar of the house and in the contours of the aeonic landscape that the HUM haunts.

 

Tereza Kamenicka (Producer/ "Lady Thayn")

Originally from the Czech Republic, Tereza worked in classical theatre in Prague for almost 10 years. She decided to move to London to explore more innovative ways of performing as well as challenging herself by performing in English.

Tereza joined FoolishPeople as a core member of the creative team in February 2006 during Dark Nights of the Soul and has performed in all of their productions since, including Cirxus, The Abbatoir Pages, A Red Threatening Sky, Desecration, Terra: Extremitas, Terra Incognita and Dead Language.

Tereza was very happy to bring the production of Strange Factories to the country of her origins, where most of the footage was shot and she found great comfort in the generous support that was offered by the locals at the location.

Emma (Rachael Blyth)

The beguiling and childlike ward of Stronheim, tutored in the customs of the Settlement by Lady Thayn.

Emma has bared witness to the secrets others refuse to see; innocence does not turn from the truth, no matter how horrifying its lesson.

Emma longs for the time of the Festival of Memories to come once again to the Settlement.

 

Rachael Blyth (Production Assistant/ "Emma")

Rachael Blyth is an actress, filmmaker and writer from the Shetland Isles. She started making films whilst studying Politics at the University of York before going on to complete an MA at Drama Centre, Central Saint Martins. There she complemented her training as an actress with her ongoing interest in other aspects of filmmaking.

Films and music videos in which she has featured have been screened at several international film festivals. Rachael joined FoolishPeople in 2010, staging her first solo show as part of The Providence Experiments. She has also toured as a musician although in that regard now describes herself as "semi-retired". Her writings on film, culture and ritual are regularly published both online and in print.

Strange Factories - One Sheet

I hope you're enjoying your explorations of the Schematic and have uncovered some of the secrets hidden within its various rooms.

This week FoolishPeople will begin to post the official 'Strange Factories' posters designed by Matt Needle along with Rachael's series of diary extracts from the making of our film.

How Long Have You Been Waiting?

The Assignment of Manifestation is complete as we present the Schematic in its entirety at the new Strange Factories website. 

From today you can explore the next phase of this immersive experience at www.strangefactories.com. Here you will find a veritable trove of information relating to the project including cast and crew biographies, exclusive artwork and of course, our very special trailer.

Delving deeper into the narrative you will be able to explore the characters at the heart of Strange Factories and view the official poster by Matt Needle, alongside artwork and designs by Dorothee Olivereau, Sean Christie and Dakota Crane. We are very proud of the website, which was designed and built by artist Richard Webb. 

Very soon we will be announcing the launch of Cycle I of our Radiogram series. For those of you who have already signed up to receive Radiograms you can still access the previous series via the new website. Radiograms contain exclusive content, unique experiences, access to transmedia events and offer further immersion into the world of Strange Factories. If you would like to gain access to the prologue cycle of Radiograms ahead of the launch you can sign up via the Weaponized store.

Stay updated by joining our Facebook page and be sure to stay tuned here at foolishpeople.com where, over the coming weeks, we shall be revealing a great deal more about both the project and all that lies in store ahead of Strange Factories' official release.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us to make it this far - without our audience none of this would be possible.

You are at the very heart of this story.

 

 

SCHEMATIC - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3

 

...reflect thy monsters of truth into meaning..

SCHEMATIC - Quadrant 2A - 3

 

 

Sands of emotion turn to glass...

SCHEMATIC - Quadrant - 3D - 4

...numinous fire will never stop burning... 

SCHEMATIC - Quadrant - 4C - 5.

 

 ......the theatre shall be rebuilt in its integrity, 

SCHEMATIC - Quadrant - 1D - 6 

...Upon ignition...

Quadrant - 3A - 7

SCHEMATIC - 14

…within a Festival of Memories.

Schematic - Quadrant 4 D - 14