Sense of a Stranger

A wall of many openings, where arms reach, eyes peer, or mouths whisper. Approaching this surface, audience members lean in to the touch of fingertips, softly spoken words, or the gaze of a stranger's eye.

Sense of a Stranger is a participatory performance installation that offers a held space for members of the public to be courageous, to share a moment of touch with a stranger, and to remind each other of our humanity.

With the support of The Performance Arcade and Expressions Arts & Entertainment Centre, Olivia Mahood and Poppy Serano will present Sense of a Stranger at The Performance Arcade in Wellington from 1-4 March, 2018 and at Expressions Gallery in Upper Hutt from 8-11 March, 2018.

The Performance Arcade attracts 40,000 people every year, the free admission makes it accessible to a broad community, offering new encounters between artists and public.

We are gathering a group of 30+ volunteers who will tag team across 76 performance hours. A mix of performers, individuals, and members of the community.

Thank you for your donation, with your support we can look after our volunteers with food and transport assistance, and pay for rehearsal space. Sense of a Stranger cannot exist without the people it engages; on both sides of the wall.

Who We Are

Olivia Mahood is an actor, filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist. Previous participatory/performance art projects include Boss of an Office and The Ball Never Stops. She is interested in creating participatory art in public spaces for broad, multifarious audiences.

Poppy Serano is an emerging performance designer and recent graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama school. Working on projects spanning live art, music videos, dance, films and theatre. Poppy is a 2016 recipient of Wellington Theatre Award for Set Designer of the year.

https://www.theperformancearcade.com/sense-of-a-stranger