barrio

AN IMMERSIVE THEATRE-CLUB EXPERIENCE

As traditional club culture declines and the cost of entertainment rises, the need for meaningful social connection has never been greater. Meet the theatre-club experience - a third space, blending community, culture and nightlife.

R&D SHARING

OCT 2026

A rave at the edge of demolition. A community at the edge of change.

Step into a disappearing council estate — not to watch a story of gentrification, but to move inside it. Through bone-conducting headphones, navigate the intimate memories of a migrant family as Fernanda and her loved ones face a choice: resist, or flee. Then dissolve into a community rave, where spatial audio turns stories of displacement and resilience into shared release, with a live DJ set throughout.

In response to the decline of traditional club culture and the rising cost of entertainment, we’ve been developing a third space: a curated, immersive experience, with purpose ,community and social impact.

BARRIO: A Theatre-Club Experience was developed in collaboration with Typeone as part of Immersive Arts' Experiment funding programme 2026.

CREATIVES

Writer & Director: Sara Al Ghanem

Producer: Maria Cuervo

Sound Design & Technology: Alex Tennyson and Isobel Mascarenhas-Whitman (Typeone)

Set & Costume Design: Valentina Miranda

DJ: Patricia Door

CAST

Fernanda: Fran Olivares

Santiago/ Estate: Felipe Chavez

Eddy/ Jayce: Isio Ighofose

Kash/ Sophie: Farah Ashraf

Laura: Daniella Agredo-Piper

Typeone is an award-winning creative technology company specialising in interactive narrative experiences. They developed their mixed reality showcontrol system Typeone realities with funding from InnovateUK, and have audio visual installations in museums and heritage sites across the country. More info at Typeone.org.

REHEARSED READING

FEB 2025

“I thought it was incredible. It was amazing to see that story told in such a way that felt so relatable. The friendships, the nuance, the complexity of the characters…i loved it!”

Set against the backdrop of the Castleview Estate, at risk of demolition, BARRIO follows Santiago and his friends as they face a life-changing decision: resist the council’s plans or carve out new futures beyond the estate's crumbling walls.

Drawing inspiration from the regeneration of Elephant and Castle, London, and the real-life stories of first and second-generation migrants who call the area home, BARRIO explores themes of cultural identity, family, grief, and resilience. This powerful and thought-provoking drama invites audiences on a journey of self-discovery, told through the lens of a community often overlooked.

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