Build Your Own Cult: An Immersive Audience Handling Risk Workshop | brokeGIRLrich
As I embarked on my PhD journey, I was determined to create something that could make a real impact on the industry, alongside any academic achievements.
Writing a dissertation that only a handful of people might ever read, discussing the influence of care ethics and aesthetics on risk management for participatory audiences, is one thing (exciting, right?).
Applying what I’ve learned from interviewing production teams and performance artists is quite another.
This led me to develop a workshop. One primary reason is that time is a critical factor in risk management and is often scarce during rehearsals and performances.
Additionally, the need to address emergency plans—often overshadowed by time constraints—emerged as a recurring theme in my interviews.
I conducted a few segments of my workshop during a PhD event at my university, engaging with non-industry participants, and found it fascinating to observe how everyone perceived risks and shared their concerns as we created playful, imaginary initiation ceremonies for a cult.
Starting the workshops before my research was fully completed turned out to be a valuable addition to the project, so here I am.
On September 30, 2024, I will host my second workshop—this time online—running from 1-5 PM GMT.
If you are a stage manager, house manager, or responsible for immersive/participatory audience management—or even if you’re just interested in this area—you are welcome to join!
And since you’re contributing to my PhD research, participation is free!
In addition to our cult-building exercise and discussions around risk assessment and the care of participants, we will cover essential topics such as informed consent, the power of introjects, the importance of aftercare and cooldown spaces. We’ll conclude by exploring your feelings about risk and how they influence your risk assessments.
