Speed Dating with Cacti
A botanist, a cognitive neuroscientist, a dharma teacher, a stand-up comedian, an 88-year old woman with Alzheimers, a young man with a brain injury, a bunch of teens, a few walking meditators and a group of children all walk into the Gardens.... The cacti turn to them and they say...
Speed Dating with Cacti is an immersive and unexpectedly experiential performance in the rapidly narrowing gap between science and spirituality. The question of plant cognition is the entry point, with the exit point being the fact that humans - like all species - will inevitably go extinct. You are passed from person to person, location to location, and led through a series of demonstrations, meditations and experiences focused on that very strange thing we call consciousness.
Smear your brain across the quantum field via mind-bending walk through Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, where you will be invited to touch the void. Another masterpiece by Mammalian Diving Reflex, Canada’s biggest cultural export since maple syrup and the company behind Haircuts by Children and All the Sex I’ve Ever Had.
Developed and produced in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Co-Devisors and Guides to the Present Moment from St Martins Youth Arts Centre.
Image courtesy of Ashleigh Robertson.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.
This presentation of 'Speed Dating with Cacti' is made possible in part thanks to the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Ontario & grants from the Canada Council for the Arts touring programs.
