Techtopia Festival Takes Over Wimbledon's Polka Theatre

The role of technolgy in modern childhood will be explored over two weeks

A “Techtopia Festival” will be taking over Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre from May 24 to June 3, including a number of performances, workshops and installations spanning two weeks exploring the role of technology in modern childhood.

The festival opens with Scanner’s Inc and House of Absolute’s Stardust, a special exploration of sound and dance. Other highlights include Error 404 and Random Selfies, followed by The First Girl In Space by Andrew Alty and performed by Polka Youth Theatre.

Running alongside these are a variety of workshops including The World of Supersaurs with author Jay Jay Burridge, and Animated Worlds with award-winning company 1927.

These are in addition to the previously announced iPet, Error 404, Random Selfies and The First Girl in Space.

We have all pondered how differently children today will grow up with: ipads, laptops and game consoles so readily available. This festival asks us to delve into this topical discussion and question our views on technology and childhood.

Polka invite you to create, question and marvel at how technology shapes all our lives through a thrilling programme of theatre, interactive workshops, debates, installations and unique learning experiences.

More details on invividual events are below:

IPET

24 & 25 May (40 mins)

Ages 2.5+

Tickets: £12.50

A three-dimensional show with cuddly devices.

Two magicians happily start their act, creating balloon animals and doing magic tricks by pulling bananas out of iPads, just the way it's supposed to be. But the iPad reveals itself as a cheeky prankster who disrupts the entire show. Eventually, no one knows who controls who anymore.

STARDUST

This production was first commissioned by the V&A Museum as part of the Family Art Fun Programme, inspired by The Future Starts Here exhibition.

26 May 11am & 2pm
Ages 5-8

Tickets: £12.50 (45 mins)

In a world where speed is everything and technical innovation pushes human pace join Scanner’s Inc with House of Absolute in a spatial exploration of sound and dance created for the V&A.

ERROR 404

Written and performed by Daniel Bye

30, 31 May 11:35am & 3:05pm

1 June 11:05am & 3:05pm

Ages 8-11

Tickets: £12.50 (65 mins)

There's a boy. Maybe he's just like you – except that his best friend is a robot.

Join him on a weird and wonderful interactive adventure through the deepest questions about
what it means to be human.

RANDOM SELFIES

A new play by Olivier Award-winning writer Mike Kenny

30 May 11:30am & 5pm

31 May 11:30am & 3pm

Ages 7-12

Tickets: £12.50 (55 mins)

As part of a three-year exploration into the impact of child loneliness, Random Selfies will be performed on a digitally animated set, which will bring to life ten-year-old Loretta's vivid imagination.

Polka Youth Theatre Present

THE FIRST GIRL IN SPACE

By Andrew Alty

Sat 2 June 11am & 2pm
Sun 3 June 2pm
Ages 5+
Tickets: £8 (40 mins)

Dreaming the Future In order to save the planet, Sheya has to leave it…

WORKSHOPS

THE WORLD OF SUPERSAURS

27 May 11.05am & 3.05pm
Ages 8-12
Tickets £8 (90 mins)
Come and find out how Jay Jay Burridge makes his interactive dinosaur storybooks.

DIGIPLAY

30 May 10.30am
Ages 8-14
Tickets £30 (5hrs)
Create plays that look at different scenarios in the digital world.

PUPPET LAB – MAKING MONSTERS

31 May 10.30am
Ages 6-9
Tickets £30 (5hrs)

Enter our puppet laboratory and spend the day exploring the future!

JOIN THE DOTS

1 June 10am & 11.15am
Ages 6 months – 5 years
Tickets £18 (1hr)

An exciting journey through the worlds of light, colour and imagination.

1927 present
ANIMATED WORLDS
2 & 3 June 10.35am
Ages 8-14
Tickets £40 (6hrs)
Join international, award-winning company 1927 to create stop frame characters as technology helps to create a woodland world.

MAKE NOISE WITH TECHNOLOGY

3rd June 10.30am & 2.05pm
Ages 2-8
Tickets £8 (90 mins)
Interactive workshop using digital technologies to make music centred on giving creative power to young people with disabilities. Inclusive and open to all. (90mins)

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

24 –26 May 10am, 11am & 1pm
Ages 2-8
Tickets £5 (45 mins)

Explore the Enchanted Forest created from children’s ideas of how technology and nature interact. (45mins)

INSTALLATIONS

During the festival Polka will be taken over by technology. All ages can come and have fun exploring the building for free! GestureTek Interactive Floor Art coded Wallpaper Prediction Machine Synchronicity Table ArtTrail featuring the work of seven local Merton schools Screen Time for Babies discussion area

For more information see the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH7SOzxLnMM

www.polkatheatre.com/festival/techtopia/

What do you think? Why not comment on our forum?

May 11, 2018