What is Asterion?
Call for Artists!
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We wish to acknowledge the generous support of
our sponsors |
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Based on a text and concept by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer
and being realized under the direction of Jerrard Smith, professor
of theatre design at the University of Guelph, Asterion is a complex
series of theatrical events in the form of a labyrinth.

First and foremost it will be an experience, a journey of individual
self discovery that transcends the restrictions of traditional
forms of art and the expectations of the traveller. It is
a story told not only in words but through images, sounds,
tastes touches and textures. It is being created as a multidisciplinary
artistic endeavour featuring gardeners and landscape architects,
builders and sculptors, designers of all kinds. It is part
museum, part fairground, part gallery and part concert. It
is part fun house and part game, part quest and part spiritual
adventure. It is in part a workshop and place where participants
in the creation of the individual events can collaborate
with others from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
It is tied together by a search for the innate theatricality of
performance space, by the threads of the story as it unwinds and
by an overriding sense of awareness of and respect for the physical
environment in which it takes place.
Asterion is being created in a pastoral rural setting which is being
transformed by a community of artists, students, builders and experimenters.
The shape is being determined by the process of its creation which
is itself a voyage through labyrinthine passageways. 
How can I participate?
There are a number of ways in which to become involved with the
development of Asterion:
Artists and craftspeople: Creators
from all disciplines are invited to visit the site and having become
familiar with the text and the process, apply to develop a part of
the labyrinth. Artists will be paired with sponsors in a partnership
that will provide funding and support. Artists may include gardeners
and designers, creators of soundscapes and shapers of space.
Sponsors: You may sponsor an artist
or a team so that you or your company will be credited with the
development of a unique creation.
Volunteers: There are opportunities
to help with the actual building of the structures themselves, of
being part of a team of creative people working collaboratively
or under the direction of a sponsored artist. There will be opportunities
for working on the development and delivery of the text. There will
be a need for general assistance on site such as kitchen support,
communications, documentation and organization.
Lab Techs: Labyrinth technicians will
be needed for construction of the physical spaces in a variety of
capacities. There will be some paid professional and student positions,
some tasks that would receive an honorarium, and some volunteer
possibilities.
Donors: There are ample opportunities
for potential supporters of this work to help with donations of
cash or in kind. We are hoping that community support will be forthcoming
and we are exploring ways in which your generosity can be rewarded
in terms of profile and by association with what we believe will
be a successful and enduring venture.
Please feel free to follow the links on this site to learn more
about what has been accomplished so far and what we hope to achieve
in the future and thank you for your interest in Asterion. |