Headfirst Editor's Pick
"Sell out warning! Mind-bending dystopian donkey revolution turned co-operative anarchistic multi-player video game performance/experience. Turning an asses-eye view to post-industrial society in 7 hours of delirious and enlightening entertainment essential for all gamers, technophobes, politicos and homosapiens."
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A event held at Watershed on Saturday 18th May. The event starts at 15:00.
asses.masses by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim
The unemployed donkeys have one demand: the humans must surrender their machines and give all donkeys their jobs back. But revolution is never easy!
asses.masses is a custom-made video game about labour, technophobia and sharing the load of revolution, designed to be played from beginning to end in a live theatre. This is gaming as performance; an immersive, cheeky and highly original work. Brave spectators take turns at the controller to lead the herd through a post-Industrial society, where asses are valued more for their hides than their potential.
Confronting automation driven job loss, nostalgia as a barrier to progress, and the role of technology in adaptation, we are encouraged to find space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us. asses.masses is Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy: as exciting in form as it is in content. No previous gaming (or donkey) experience required.
Audiences say:
“One of the best things I have ever seen.”
“asses.masses was, to be quite honest, my own personal Super Bowl.”
“absolutely worth the marathon. Gamer or not, just GO.”
“the most creative, original, and entertaining piece of theatre I’ve ever seen… It’s an experience you will never forget.”
Presented in collaboration with Watershed, and supported by Bristol Games Lab.
This performance is part of Mayfest: Bristol's international festival of contemporary theatre and live performance, curated and produced by MAYK. Check out the full programme at https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest / @mayfestbristol
"Bristol has a creative technology sector that is celebrated around the world. The opportunity to introduce Bristol audiences (gamers or otherwise) to this incredible feat of creativity was irresistible. Milton, Patrick and their collaborators have crafted something truly jaw-dropping." Kate & Matthew, co-directors, MAYK
Join us on Fri 17 May for a Lunchtime Talk at Pervasive Media Studio to hear from the artists about the creation of the epic 7-hour video game theatre experience, alongside a conversation with Richard Cole and members of Bristol Games Lab. Find out more: https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest#group/lunchtime-talk-assesmasses
Age: 14+
Duration: Approximately 7.5 hours+, breaks are included throughout
There will be breaks with food and a bar available for the length of the show. Food, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks are included in your ticket price. Please email [email protected] if you have any dietary and allergen requirements
ACCESS INFORMATION
- All performances of asses.masses are ‘extra live’, which means that audience members are free to make noise, call out, eat, drink, enter/exit, and move about as needed.
- Many types of participation are welcome, and are often unique to the player.
- There are 2 wheelchair accessible seats available per performance date. Please book these seats directly from the Watershed website ticket page.
- The performance space will be set up to ensure the controller is accessible to wheelchair users, and chairs will be available to support players who cannot stand for long periods of time.
- asses.masses requires that players listen for audio cues, read text from the screen, and—for those who choose to become players—use their hand dexterity to operate a game controller. The pace of the game is directly controlled by the self-elected player and can change depending on the audiences; this includes how quickly players progress through the text.
- You can find an Easy Read about this event: https://shorturl.at/hxAD9
Venue Information
This event will take place in Cinema 1 at Watershed in Bristol. You can find out more about the venue and access information on their website: https://www.watershed.co.uk/visit/access
Get in touch with [email protected] if you have any questions about access.
Please note: your ticket will include food, drinks and snacks. Get in touch us the team [email protected] if you have any dietary requirements or food allergies.
Credits
asses.masses has been created with support from Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, The Theatre Centre, VIVO Media Arts, and Embassy of Canada to Argentina and Paraguay;
developed with the funding support from Creative BC and the British Columbia Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts; and produced in association with the National Arts Centre of Canada’s National Creation Fund
About
Patrick Blenkarn (he/him) is an artist working at the intersection of performance, game design, and visual art. Often engaging with the politics of participation and interactivity, his recent works feature sustained investigations into the subjects of language, labour, and the art economy, with projects ranging in form from video games and card games to stage plays and books. His work has been featured in film festivals, galleries, and performance festivals across Canada, and recently in Argentina, Mexico, and Germany. He is a co-founder of and key archivist with videocan; the Producer for The Elbow Theatre in Vancouver; and one half of the Ontario-based theatre company, Guilty by Association. Patrick has a degree in philosophy, theatre, and film from the University of King's College and an MFA in interdisciplinary art from Simon Fraser University. patrickblenkarn.com
Milton Lim (he/him) is a media artist, game designer, and performance creator based in Vancouver, Canada. His research-based practice entwines publicly available data, interactive digital media, and gameful performance to create speculative visions and candid articulations of social capital. This line of inquiry aims to reconsider our repertoires of knowledge aggregation and political intervention in the contemporary context of big data and algorithmic culture. Milton holds a BFA (Hons.) in theatre performance and psychology from Simon Fraser University. His work has presented in venues, festivals, and galleries nationally across Canada and internationally in the US, Mexico, Argentina, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more. He is a Co-Artistic Director of Hong Kong Exile, an Artistic Associate with Theatre Conspiracy, a key archivist with videocan, and he is currently wrapping up an 18-month Artistic Leadership Residency with the National Theatre School of Canada. miltonlim.com
assesmasses.work
Instagram: @asses.masses / https://www.instagram.com/asses.masses/
#Mayfest
@mayfestbristol / https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest
Entry requirements: 14+
The unemployed donkeys have one demand: the humans must surrender their machines and give all donkeys their jobs back. But revolution is never easy!
asses.masses is a custom-made video game about labour, technophobia and sharing the load of revolution, designed to be played from beginning to end in a live theatre. This is gaming as performance; an immersive, cheeky and highly original work. Brave spectators take turns at the controller to lead the herd through a post-Industrial society, where asses are valued more for their hides than their potential.
Confronting automation driven job loss, nostalgia as a barrier to progress, and the role of technology in adaptation, we are encouraged to find space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us. asses.masses is Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy: as exciting in form as it is in content. No previous gaming (or donkey) experience required.
Audiences say:
“One of the best things I have ever seen.”
“asses.masses was, to be quite honest, my own personal Super Bowl.”
“absolutely worth the marathon. Gamer or not, just GO.”
“the most creative, original, and entertaining piece of theatre I’ve ever seen… It’s an experience you will never forget.”
Presented in collaboration with Watershed, and supported by Bristol Games Lab.
This performance is part of Mayfest: Bristol's international festival of contemporary theatre and live performance, curated and produced by MAYK. Check out the full programme at https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest / @mayfestbristol
"Bristol has a creative technology sector that is celebrated around the world. The opportunity to introduce Bristol audiences (gamers or otherwise) to this incredible feat of creativity was irresistible. Milton, Patrick and their collaborators have crafted something truly jaw-dropping." Kate & Matthew, co-directors, MAYK
Join us on Fri 17 May for a Lunchtime Talk at Pervasive Media Studio to hear from the artists about the creation of the epic 7-hour video game theatre experience, alongside a conversation with Richard Cole and members of Bristol Games Lab. Find out more: https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest#group/lunchtime-talk-assesmasses
Age: 14+
Duration: Approximately 7.5 hours+, breaks are included throughout
There will be breaks with food and a bar available for the length of the show. Food, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks are included in your ticket price. Please email [email protected] if you have any dietary and allergen requirements
ACCESS INFORMATION
- All performances of asses.masses are ‘extra live’, which means that audience members are free to make noise, call out, eat, drink, enter/exit, and move about as needed.
- Many types of participation are welcome, and are often unique to the player.
- There are 2 wheelchair accessible seats available per performance date. Please book these seats directly from the Watershed website ticket page.
- The performance space will be set up to ensure the controller is accessible to wheelchair users, and chairs will be available to support players who cannot stand for long periods of time.
- asses.masses requires that players listen for audio cues, read text from the screen, and—for those who choose to become players—use their hand dexterity to operate a game controller. The pace of the game is directly controlled by the self-elected player and can change depending on the audiences; this includes how quickly players progress through the text.
- You can find an Easy Read about this event: https://shorturl.at/hxAD9
Venue Information
This event will take place in Cinema 1 at Watershed in Bristol. You can find out more about the venue and access information on their website: https://www.watershed.co.uk/visit/access
Get in touch with [email protected] if you have any questions about access.
Please note: your ticket will include food, drinks and snacks. Get in touch us the team [email protected] if you have any dietary requirements or food allergies.
Credits
asses.masses has been created with support from Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, The Theatre Centre, VIVO Media Arts, and Embassy of Canada to Argentina and Paraguay;
developed with the funding support from Creative BC and the British Columbia Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts; and produced in association with the National Arts Centre of Canada’s National Creation Fund
About
Patrick Blenkarn (he/him) is an artist working at the intersection of performance, game design, and visual art. Often engaging with the politics of participation and interactivity, his recent works feature sustained investigations into the subjects of language, labour, and the art economy, with projects ranging in form from video games and card games to stage plays and books. His work has been featured in film festivals, galleries, and performance festivals across Canada, and recently in Argentina, Mexico, and Germany. He is a co-founder of and key archivist with videocan; the Producer for The Elbow Theatre in Vancouver; and one half of the Ontario-based theatre company, Guilty by Association. Patrick has a degree in philosophy, theatre, and film from the University of King's College and an MFA in interdisciplinary art from Simon Fraser University. patrickblenkarn.com
Milton Lim (he/him) is a media artist, game designer, and performance creator based in Vancouver, Canada. His research-based practice entwines publicly available data, interactive digital media, and gameful performance to create speculative visions and candid articulations of social capital. This line of inquiry aims to reconsider our repertoires of knowledge aggregation and political intervention in the contemporary context of big data and algorithmic culture. Milton holds a BFA (Hons.) in theatre performance and psychology from Simon Fraser University. His work has presented in venues, festivals, and galleries nationally across Canada and internationally in the US, Mexico, Argentina, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more. He is a Co-Artistic Director of Hong Kong Exile, an Artistic Associate with Theatre Conspiracy, a key archivist with videocan, and he is currently wrapping up an 18-month Artistic Leadership Residency with the National Theatre School of Canada. miltonlim.com
assesmasses.work
Instagram: @asses.masses / https://www.instagram.com/asses.masses/
#Mayfest
@mayfestbristol / https://www.mayk.org.uk/mayfest
Entry requirements: 14+
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