Bright Light Burning: Building Community at COP28

The Theatre of Others is an international theatre company that creates theatrical events in bespoke sensory performance spaces. These “spaces” may be in-person or online, but they are always unique and integral to the performance from conception to applause. We’ve performed in Singapore and Melbourne. We’ve held workshops online and in Bali. We’ve produced over 180 episodes and counting of “The Theatre of Others Podcast.” And now, we’ve been invited to perform in Dubai at COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. That’s where you come in.

What we are doing. We plan to bring a team of 14 to perform at 5 different venues in and around Dubai in December 2023. This team includes our actors, musicians, a director, and a playwright. It also includes a film crew, who will help us record and share the production with a global audience (that means you!).

How you can help. All of this will, of course, require a vast amount of planning and considerable resources. We have already received a $40,000 grant through the British Embassy Gulf Strategy Fund, the only creative project the British Embassy is funding for COP28. This will pay for travel and accommodations for our team. Now, we need help paying that same team for their talent and their time. This fundraiser is a first step towards accomplishing that goal and a great way for you to support artists directly: everything we raise on this platform will be used to pay artists. How cool is that?

What’s this show about, by the way? We’re so glad you asked! The theme of this year’s conference is “Adaptation.” In this immersive experience, our play Bright Light Burning, audience members step into the shoes of migrants in the year 2100, gathering in a space as they await their journey away from the equator toward the still-temperate regions near the Arctic Circle.

Within this gathering, performers emerge to soothe anxious souls with stories of their ancestors and visions of the future, conveyed through poetry, narrative, and song. These narratives prompt reflection on the stories our descendants will share about us and the future we are crafting for them. Past and future converge in a poignant moment of shared mourning and collective healing.

No matter how challenging the days ahead may be, those living them deserve our unwavering efforts, care, and attention.

We hope that audiences will form a connection with these characters, one that reminds them that the future is worth all our effort.

So, please join us in bringing this story to life in person at COP28 and virtually worldwide!

Performers:

Rytasha Rathore

Kristina Pakhomova

Rummana Yamanie

Gimbey de la Cruz

Budi Miller

with Jack Burmeister and Arwa Hezzah

and Christie Chang and Karim Hamad

Written by Steven Gaultney

Directed by Adam Marple

Online/recorded version directed by Joshua Waterstone

captured by Adrian Eppel and Austin Paley