The Labyrinth
Cedar and split rail fence on site
Asterion is a labyrinth; a series of rooms and passages through which the visiting participant must navigate alone. Each event builds on the one preceding it and as the journey unfolds, as layers of meaning accumulate, the traveller gets closer to the centre of the labyrinth where he or she will confront the darkness within. It is designed as a transformative journey to be experienced by one person at a time. As the participant moves through the labyrinth, her experience will be shaped by encounters with actors and by an active engagement with the surroundings. As the lines between spectator and performer become blurred the individual begins to shape his or her own experience of the labyrinth.
Based on a text by R. Murray Schafer and realized under the supervision of Artistic Director Jerrard Smith, Asterion has been under development for over ten summers and is now nearing completion.
We invite you to join us as we prepare the final stage of Asterion – the performance. Are you a performer or a spectator? The distinction fades as you find your way through the twists and turns of the labyrinth.
Workshops
Daedalus’ laboratory
The Asterion summer workshops provide an opportunity for 10 members of the public to participate in the development of Asterion each weekend through June and July. You will camp with our team on site and we will explore the journey of the labyrinth. Each weekend will have a different focus as we work toward a final full performance. There will be hands-on opportunities for you to put your stamp on a part of the structure as well as take on a role of one of the archetypal characters who inhabit the maze. You will also take a turn as the participant or ‘neophyte’ and provide us with your feedback on the experience.
When you register for a weekend, you will receive a copy of the text and directions to the site. Workshop participants are welcome to arrive Friday evening in preparation for a full day Saturday. The site is near Peterborough ON. The cost is $250 per person; food and facilities are provided. If you are a student, an actor or otherwise underemployed, you may be eligible for assistance. Each workshop session will provide two subsidized spaces.
How to apply
You may sign up for a weekend space here
For additional information, email admin@patria.org
Subsidy
To apply for workshop subsidy, send us an email with your name, contact information and a brief description of your skills and abilities and what you feel you might offer the project. Indicate which session you would prefer.
Blog
To keep up to date with us as we proceed this summer, visit
http://www.patria.org/asterionblog/
For more information, please contact us
