Two collections. 

Eight weeks of programming. 

A showcase of new and globally award-winning immersive work.

On Sat 26 Oct, Undershed will open its doors for the first time as a brand new gallery offering a programme of interactive artworks curated by acclaimed director, maker and Pervasive Media Studio Resident Amy Rose - and tickets are now on sale for its first exhibition.

Undershed's inaugural exhibition – Sing The Body Electric – is all about the body. Moving, touching, seeing and feeling - it will explore how we get out of heads, into our senses, and meet the world in a new way.

Comprised of two collections, the exhibition will showcase artworks from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Korea and the UK:

• Collection 1 runs from Sat 26 Oct to Sun 24 Nov
• Collection 2 runs from Sat 30 Nov to Sun 22 Dec

Amy says,

 “I am so proud to be the first curator of Watershed’s groundbreaking immersive exhibition space and to showcase the extraordinary artists who play with immersion, both home-grown and from all over the world. One of my aims for the space is to experiment with what interactivity and participation can mean in this new kind of gallery and I believe the work of these first four artists will do just that. Inviting audiences to step more intimately into a story can change how (and where) stories really happen – and inspire dialogue where there might otherwise be silence.”  

From a creative’s perspective, immersive work is not always presented in the way they had imagined it - often shoved in corners or boxed into tiny spaces in noisy rooms. Undershed will create space for the work and space for audiences to engage with and reflect on what they have seen, and always ensure they feel ‘held’ during experiences. 

We will actively work with audiences to build accessible language that enables people to understand what they might be booking and encourage them to take a risk on something new. 

We are so excited to have been awarded £359,773 from Arts Council England, not only to make this all possible - but to establish a national network of immersive exhibitions! Tonya Nelson, Executive Director, Enterprise & Innovation at ACE says,

We are delighted to support Undershed in establishing itself as a pioneering venue for digital immersive work in England. As an exciting new venture, it is ideally placed to bring innovative and engaging immersive experiences to new audiences. 

Thanks to ACE and our multiple partners, we now work towards our opening day on 26 Oct as a brand new hub for interactive and immersive storytelling in the South West. 

Jo Lansdowne, Watershed’s Executive Producer, said: 

We are hugely grateful to our brilliant partners at UWE Bristol, Bristol+Bath Creative R+D and MyWorld for their trust and financial support transforming Undershed into a new space for Bristol’s artists and audiences. It means such a lot that Watershed’s long standing creative technology work will now be much more available for everyone to engage with. And we are delighted to announce that Sing the Body Electric and other upcoming exhibitions have been enabled through the BFI Audience Projects Fund, and Arts Council England's Nationally Significant Projects awarding funds from the National Lottery. This support will ensure that Undershed’s programme is ambitious in its breadth and depth as we seek to develop cross-artform culture for the future, bringing new audiences of all backgrounds to immersive work.” 

Find out more about each collection and book your tickets here.

 

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