The «Access Point» Festival is known for its interest towards experimental theatre. This year, it is the Internet that became the territory of experiment. The festival’s main program puts together the projects dedicated to the digital media exploration. Virtual bodies, artificial intelligence, isolation, and elimination of limits are in focus of the discussion by the European and Russian directors.

Simon Senn, videographer and visual artist from Geneva, invites us to the digital performance «Being Arielle F»  about his experience of online purchasing the digital copy of a British female body. Simon carefully describes the process of digitalisation and purchase, his attempt to inhabit the digital body and conversation with the «prototype». The artist shows how real and virual worlds resonate, revealing unforeseen relations between technology, gender, and law. Dates of performances: June 20, 27 and July, 4, 24.

2020 inspired Rimini Protokoll for the special Russian adaptation of its internationally acclaimed project «Call Cutta in a Box». This time, the company invites to join the intercontinental videoconference about outsourcing and telemarketing «Call Cutta at Home». What invisible workers of call centres look like? What does outsourcing mean during the pandemic?  When artificial intelligence will replace such services?  Within the project Rimini Protokoll attempts to return human features to the impersonal. Online shows will continue throughout July; the complete schedule is available here.

Discussion entiltled «No, no limits? New Geography of Imagination Bounds» took place within the educational program of the festival and included the team of Pro Helvetia and director and playwright Boris Nikitin. Also Q&A session with an adept of the political theatre, director Milo Rau was among the highlights of the program. The theatre director shared his vision of the theatre future and what changes the current crisis will bring in the contemporary theatre process. Video of the session is available here.

Photo: Simon Senn, Being Arielle F (c) vidy.ch