It’s true! A group of six robots is taking over Newcastle’s Northern Stage and invites theatre supporters to send them a selfie which they will incorporate into a massive mural to be revealed when the theatre reopens to the public.
And the whole event, which runs from 14 to 19 September, will be live-streamed so you may even get to see your own portrait being drawn.
A Portrait Without Borders, as the event is called, is a Kaleider production commissioned by Freedom Festival in Hull where it opened in September 2020. Kaleider, an international production studio led by artist Seth Honnor, makes artworks for audiences all over the world and runs innovation programmes in art and creative technology for others to develop and produce work.
Northern Stage has said it is delighted to be able to open the theatre, even if only digitally, to the public. As Executive Director Kate Denby said, “while nothing could replace the buzz of a live audience, we’re really excited to welcome a virtual audience to the theatre and to be bringing such impressive, innovative work to Newcastle for people to enjoy—not just this week, but for everyone to see when we can safely reopen the building.”
To take part, you need a camera on your computer— you can use your mobile’s camera as long as you access the link on your phone—then go to the project web site and follow the simple instructions.
You can watch the robots in action from 14 September via the same link.