Gateshead International
Festival of Theatre
Fri 1, Sat 2 & Sun 3 May | Various time slots | St Mary's Heritage Centre
AWAKE & STILL DROWNING
XOSECRET
Place of Origin: Canada
Image Credit: Dustin Harvey
About
AWAKE & STILL DROWNING is a hands-on mixed-reality performance where audiences move together as a flock of seabirds attempting to cross the rapidly flooding Chignecto Isthmus—the narrow land bridge connecting Nova Scotia to mainland Canada.
Wearing Meta Quest headsets, participants navigate a shifting landscape guided by quiet narration, hand-drawn/animated text, and a bird companion.
The work is designed as choreography as much as VR. Passthrough keeps participants aware of one another, so the movement of bodies in the room becomes part of the piece: people cluster, pause, adjust, and respond together as the sea rises. Those waiting to enter the headsets observe the group from outside the play space, then roles switch.
Rooted in Atlantic Canada’s coastline and climate realities, AWAKE & STILL DROWNING invites audiences to feel environmental change not as a distant headline, but as something shared, physical, and unfolding in the present.
Dates: Fri 1, Sat 2 & Sun 3 May
Times: Various time slots (see booking link)
Duration: 60 mins
Ticket Price: Pay What You Decide
Venue: St Mary's Heritage Centre, Oakwellgate, Gateshead NE8 2AU
Access Considerations
✓ Audience Participation
✓ Audience required to walk or stand ​
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Ticket information
Pay What You Decide Tickets
GIFT is committed to making the festival accessible to everyone. There's a "Pay What You Decide" option for every event. Any amount you can contribute is greatly appreciated and goes directly towards supporting artists, our community workshop programme and the future of the festival.
By attending GIFT, you're directly supporting the development and presentation of new artistic works in Gateshead.
Any questions?
If you need any help booking tickets or have any questions about the festival, feel free to drop an email to giftfestival.info@gmail.com