We – the modern human (Homo Sapiens) have embarked on a 12,000 year journey that presently sees us where we are today whereby we’ve created complex civilisations and social structures. Within this time we’ve compiled, measured and collected countless amounts of data documenting our existence, at present the online space the new frontier in terms of the archive of human history it holds. Delving into this facet of human history further are composer Jamie Perera, artistic filmmaker Katherine Round and journalist Leah Borromeo in their audio visual presenting their work Twelve Thousand Years in Fragments playing as part of the Electric Dreams Online Festival.

Overwhelmed by a myriad of images on our timelines constantly, photo sharing has become the norm in terms of how we communicate to others and curate our digital lives. Our accounts serving as digital legacies telling our story how we choose to, each image a gateway to a differing chapter. Delving into this phenomenon in their topical work Rich Kids: A history of shopping malls in Tehran, Javaad Alipoor and Kirsty Housely craft an early 21st century defining show tying together entitlement and technology to showcase the theatrical within our new normal.

Frozen Light’s foundations were formed from co-founders Lucy Garland and Amber Onat Gregory’s “shared dream of wanting to create high quality theatre for audiences with Profound Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). Having created 4 shows and toured over 70 venues across the UK, their work has seen them collaborate with venues to promote accessibility for audiences with complex disabilities. In response to current theatre closures due to Covid-19, Frozen Light have created a podcast series sharing the experiences of people with PMLD, their carers and companions as they adapt during these unpredictable times. Frozen Light tells us more about what to expect from the podcast!

Founded by circus aerialist and associate director of Improbable, theatre-maker Matilda Leyser, Mothers Who Make is a peer support group recognising “the experiences and challenges specific to being both a mother and artist”. Noting parallels between the two roles in terms of “creativity, play and patience” amongst other attributes, the group intends to challenge the idea that the two are “incompatible”. Having established the network 6 years ago, the initiative has gone from strength to strength, taking place in nearly 30 regions across the UK and overseas with 26 peer support meetings taking place monthly. Leading the Northamptonshire hub is creative producer of Carbon Theatre Courtenay Johnson, here she tells us more about the initiative and connecting with local artists.

Our relationships and how we interact with others around us help form our realities and perceptions of the world, relationships our foundations for helping us to figure out who we are, but complex in nature. Exploring this notion in their award winning show GRIP, Nothing to Perform showcase an ambitious piece of work cleverly shifting in form. Originally performed as part of the International Youth Arts Festival, and filmed by online streaming service LIVR, GRIP forms part of this year’s Reading Fringe Online Festival.

“A movement of mothers, moms and mamas spreading the message that you don’t have to be perfect, and sometimes being good enough is best”, The Good Enough Mums Club are a collective of mothers within the arts creating a safe space for shared experiences of motherhood to be explored, with the hopes of inspiring and uplifting others. Currently using this time to further develop their musical of the same name, the addition of The Good Enough Mums Club Podcast aims to offer an extension of the efforts of the collective and musical, and will also showcase new music from the show. The show’s creator Emily Beecher tells us more about the podcast and the empowering team of mothers behind it!

Touring rural parts of the UK has played an integral part in the work New Perspectives creates, bringing a range of stories to rural isolated audiences. Months post the the Covid-19 crisis, the way in which theatre is shared has shifted in response – creatives now showcasing their work via online streaming. Offering an alternative take on reaching audiences, New Perspectives present Love from Cleethorpes, a postcard drama that will play out over week in August. Ahead of the show, Artistic Director Jack McNamara tells us more about what to expect!

From Friday 24th July until Sunday 16th August, the Electric Dreams Online Festival will showcase various works responding to the digital world we find ourselves in. A mixed programme of web-native theatre, music and experiences, Electric Dreams explores the use of social media, audio, visual, mapping and Virtual Reality as a means of telling stories. Taking part in the latest edition of the festival are composer Jamie Perera, artist-filmmaker Katharine Round and journalist Leah Borromeo with their audio-visual experience Twelve Thousand Years in Fragments – an addition to their Climate Symphony Project. Ahead of the experience, the collective tell us more about what to expect!

From Friday 24th July until Sunday 16th August, the Electric Dreams Online Festival will showcase various works responding to the digital world we find ourselves in. A mixed programme of web-native theatre, music and experiences, Electric Dreams explores the use of social media, audio, visual, mapping and Virtual Reality as a means of telling stories. Taking part in the latest edition of the festival is Abhi Arumbakkam with her inventive show Small Screen Lives, a piece taking place across social media and highlighting 3 different stories. Ahead of the festival, Abhi talks to us about what to expect!

Within the past year, the way in which we’ve consumed live art has changed; due to the closure of arts venues, creatives within arts industries have had to adapt their work digitally, online platforms providing a space for audiences to connect. A response to our current climate, the Electric Dreams Online Festival showcases a mixed programme of web native theatre, music and immersive experiences exploring the use of various digital technologies from social media to Virtual Reality (VR). Curated by award winning immersive and interactive curators and co-founders of Crossover Labs Mark Atkin and Tom Miller, both tell us what we can expect from the online festival!