Three’s Theatre Company & Connswater Shopping Centre 2023
Context
Three’s Theatre Company make immersive experiences and are further developing their work with technology to ensure they are more audience led, experimental and high quality.
Connswater Shopping Centre is a community focused retail space that has proven time and time again that it values the arts and community organisations.
Challenge
Three’s Theatre Company was in the process of creating the UnSmart Home and needed a venue to build, test and showcase the pilot project. Connswater Shopping Centre wanted to bring an unused retail unit to life, animating the shopping centre in a creative way while increasing footfall.
“Connswater were an incredible support, we couldn’t have asked for more. Mark’s support of the project was incredible, and we were delighted to be a part of the fabric of the shopping centre - even if only for a short while. We are excited about the next time a project crops up for us that fits Connswater, so we can get back in the venue as it was so much fun.”
Three’s Theatre
Solution
Connswater provided an excellent unit close to the centre entrance. The unit was large enough to house the UnSmart Home, an immersive coding puzzle experience for children, as well as leaving plenty of space for the evaluation and feedback area, and even our project That Sinking Feeling for passers-by to experience. The location was perfect to attract families over the half term break, and with other activities taking place in the shopping centre for Halloween, it really felt alive.
Results
The UnSmart Home was in the unit for 2 months, one month set up, two week run and two week take down. Having a space where they could experiment and build and work out all the little hiccups, was imperative to the project, as it was Three’s first attempt at something this technically complex.
They had a total of 172 participants over 8 days when the project ran, the second week bookings filled up with people whose interest was piqued as they had passed by the shop front and asked questions. Three’s Theatre were able to invite local Tech Organisations, STEM organisations and Researchers to see the project in action. The centre’s coffee shop proved a great spot for important chats to plan what might happen next for the project and for youth groups to get a hot chocolate whilst they waited their turn to attend.
“Working with Anna and the team from Three’s Theatre company was an absolute pleasure. The UnSmart Home was a fantastic project and we were absolutely delighted to partner on it. This immersive and interactive experience was really a very unique way for us to engage with customers and the community. Designed to encourage children aged 7-11 to have an interest in coding, it was a brilliant and very interesting piece of work. Anna and her team were amazing, very professional, easy to work with and they delivered an outstanding exhibition. Everything ran like clockwork. We genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better partner to collaborate with. The results speak for themselves.”
Connswater