Story Bocs
We're building a wondrous (and occasionally monstrous) travelling library of interactive, multimedia stories. Each book shaped box has Things inside - some you can touch, some you listen to, some listen to you!
When we have enough bocs (old English for book in case you're wondering), we'll be hitting the road, touring community spaces and sharing stories.
Every bocs tells a different tale in a different way. There's always a story and an artistic element, some have moving parts or play recorded sounds. They are designed to be picked up and interacted with, which is important for accessibility - providing a tactile experience for people with visual impairment for example. As with all inclusive elements, that also benefits the wider audience, breaking down what is often a very literal barrier when it comes to visual arts. We have come to associate art with standing several feet away from a thing which is often behind glass, our hands behind our backs. This has led to many people feeling intimidated, that they're not allowed somehow, that it's not 'for them'. Sod that. ​
The bocs in this video was inspired by a real haunting experienced by one of our crew. We created a haunted dolls house for the lady, and added some nods to classic horror literature, such as the yellow wallpaper (from the story of the same name by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892). A blue gowned doll dances to Fur Elise played on an old school wind up music box. If you've not had the experience of one of those not being quite wound down and starting up again at 3am by the way, you've not lived.
This fuzzy number is one of our smaller bocs and contains a written story and a hand drawn map - which, when rotated to follow the trail, activates another element.
The library has a story all its own and to add to the adventure, we have created an archive of specially done artwork, stories and artefacts revealing the lore. The research file will be displayed as part of the touring show and when we've got it all together, a virtual version you can explore right here. Here's a sneak peek at some of our favourite artefacts :)
It's important that accessible, inclusive events are created with the community, so we know we are putting on the best show we possibly can - and meeting the complex needs people have. To start the conversation, we have already done a series of workshops inviting residents of Newcastle's east end to create a bocs telling their own stories. In September, we had another pop-up show in Gateshead, inviting people to come and see some of the Story Bocs and add to a community build, one of many ways we are exploring that will enable us to take you on tour with us!
Even the smallest bocs like this one contain at least one extra effect, in this case a flickering red light that warns us Something is waiting on the other side of that door. As we go bigger, we can fit in more ways to bring the bocs alive and we're now in talks with like minded organisations to start test building some giant, walk-in bocs for a truly immersive story, which is incredibly exciting. Slightly terrifying, but mostly exciting :)
We keep all of our public projects free to access because we know that financial struggles often impact peoples' ability to engage with the arts, whether as audiences or creatives. We do have to pay for all this somehow of course and that's where our fundraising comes in.
We're currently working on plans for next year's crowdfunding and other opportunities. Alongside custom builds and library packs, we're going to be offering more ways creatives can actively join in and in the process, hold the door open for someone else. ​​Subscribe to our newsletter below for updates on events and how you can get involved.