ARTBARN is a collective of innovative artists from across disciplines who collaboratively generate original site-specific performance work.
At the center of our process is a core belief that theatre is a dialogue. It is a conversation between a playwright and their world, between performers and an audience, amongst collaborators, between the past and the present and the future, and perhaps most importantly for us, between space and perspective. Something profound happens when actors step outside of the traditional theatre space and speak in the woods or in an old house or in a giant factory. They breathe differently, they move differently, they listen differently, they think differently, and they work differently. Similarly for an audience, when removed from the traditional spectator dynamics involved in sitting in a dark theatre watching a story appear before you, something transformative happens. We are driven by a desire to create more opportunities for artists and audience alike to experience that profound shift in perspective.
ARTBARN develops new work over the course of a year and then converges during an annual retreat in which artists live and work together, rehearse intensively, collaborate deeply, and connect over shared meals. Throughout the process, we commit to looking at the space we are in, the people we have, and the material we are exploring to build something that is exceptionally specific to those unique elements. We invest in artists as true collaborators, inviting them to bring all of their background and resources to the table and asking them to put the work at the center of the process, leaving ego at the door. The yearlong process and retreat culminate in a one-of-a-kind public performance of an original work that’s part theatre, part installation, part walking tour, and part meal.
Learn More: http://artbarnfestival.com