Trek: Trek Supports ‘Rider Spoke’

Rider Spoke hits the streets again with a four-day season as part of the renowned Brighton Festival. Rider Spoke premiered in October 2007 with a sold out season at the Barbican, London and now takes to the lanes of Brighton from 8^th to 11^th

May.

Presented in the ‘Free Outdoors’ program of the Brighton Festival, Rider Spoke invites the audience to cycle through the streets of the city seeking out unusual and secretive hiding spots to reveal their innermost thoughts.

Five people set off every 15 minutes, either on their own bike or on one provided. A computer console mounted on the handlebars directs each individual to a unique hiding place. Once discovered, the console poses a question to which riders record their responses. Riders then seek out other participants’ hiding places and listen to their recordings.

Rider Spoke blurs the distinction between theatre and game play and encourages participants to become co-authors of the piece. Four times BAFTA nominated, Brighton-based Blast Theory is one of the most adventurous companies experimenting with performance in the digital age and has six years experience presenting work on the streets around the world. The company is led by artists Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj and uses interactive media to create games, installations and performances.

Blast Theory combines theatre with state-of-the-art computer technology and is part of the 21^st century phenomenon known as pervasive gaming, a radical new form extending gaming into the physical world. Blast Theory explores how games and cutting edge technology create new social spaces.

The company has won the Prix Arts Electronica and has shown work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, ICC in Tokyo, the National Museum in Singapore, the Hebbel in Berlin, the Sydney Biennale and on Tate Online.

For session and booking details call 01274 709 709 or see the Brighton Festival website (see links on the left).