This December, Story Collider presents a very special immersive storytelling experience. Using 360-degree video footage and soundscapes, we will transport you to the high seas as four storytellers share powerful stories from their lives and work. We invite you to join us on this thrilling journey from the shoreline to the depths of the ocean floor!
Doors will open at 7:00 pm for a reception with beer, wine, and light snacks, as well as a gallery featuring artist James Allister's work and secret ocean installations.
The show will take place from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm and will be hosted by Story Collider’s artistic director, Erin Barker. Afterwards, join us for a post-show reception featuring a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the technical aspects of how we transported an entire audience under the sea.
This show is made possible with the support of the Tiffany & Co. Foundation, which seeks to preserve the world’s most treasured landscapes and seascapes.
Stories by:
Prof.Ound is a Bronx-born and raised spoken word artist, actor, writer, educator and environmentalist. Prof.Ound’s creative work is notable for its Afrocentric emphasis on audience participation and conveying moral/ethical lessons. Merging these aesthetic values into their ecological restoration work and background, Prof.Ound has been developing and workshopping a culturally responsive arts-based outdoor education pedagogy. Prof.Ound strives to ensure the full participation and autonomous leadership of marginalized communities in environmental movements.
Keith Ellenbogen is a celebrated underwater photographer working with conservation-based organizations to showcase the visual complexity of underwater environments, from coral reefs to coastal rivers to the wild open sea. Through his photography Keith seeks to evoke a sense of discovery of fantastical creatures to captivate our imagination and create intimate, personal connections, that inspires positive social change. Keith is an Assistant Professor of Photography at SUNY/FIT; Visiting Artist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant; Sr. Fellow, International League of Conservation Photographers; Fellow, The Explorers Club; Affiliate Partner, Mission Blue - A Sylvia Earle Alliance; the recipient of Hollings Ocean Awareness Award and a TED Residency that included a TED Talk to raise environmental awareness through photography. Keith currently resides in Brooklyn New York. To learn more about Keith visit: www.keithellenbogen.com or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-ellenbogen/.
Latasha Wright received her Ph.D. from NYU Langone Medical Center in Cell and Molecular Biology. After her studies, she went on to continue her scientific training at Johns Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has coauthored numerous publications and presented her work at international and national conferences. In 2011, she joined the crew of the BioBus, a mobile science lab dedicated to bringing handson science and inspiration to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The BioBus creates a setting that fosters innovation and creativity. Students are encouraged to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and design experiments. Through the BioBus, Latasha was able to share her love of science with a new generation of potential scientists. Everyday that she spends teaching students about science in this transformative environment helps her remember that science is fun. She loves sharing the journey of discovery with students of all ages. In 2014, the BioBus team launched an immersive, unintimidating laboratory space called the BioBase, a community laboratory model. At the BioBase students are encouraged to explore their scientific potential through in-depth programming and hands-on experimentation. Latasha has lead the efforts in establishing this community laboratory model, and hopes to build on its success in other communities. The efforts of the BioBus’ team to promote science education to all communities in New York City has been recognized by numerous news outlets, including the WNYC science radio program Hypothesis. Additionally, Latasha has been featured as NY1’s New Yorker of the Week.
Skylar Bayer is a marine biologist, storyteller, and producer for The Story Collider. She completed her Ph.D. in the secret sex lives of scallops, a subject that landed her on The Colbert Report in 2013. Last year she worked in the U.S. Senate as a science policy fellow, and currently is a postdoctoral research associate at the NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory in Connecticut. She has published stories in online magazines, most recently in Scientific American. She lives with her long-distance and cold-water swimming husband, Thom, her two dogs and grumpy cat in Maine. She also enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the gentle art. Follow her on Twitter @drsrbayer.
Special thanks to:
Producer: Nisse Greenberg
Projectionist and Visual Direction: Alex Reeves
Audio Direction and Engineering: Elyse Blennerhasset and Lemon Guo
Shadow Puppet Design: Reyhanneh Maktoufi
Technical Staff: Avi Gabel-Richards, Elan Gabel-Richards, and Ben Eels
Projection Assistance: Grayson Earle