*apologies for cross-posting* DESERT RAIN Blast Theory in association with Riverside Studios present Desert Rain Dates: Friday 12th May to Sunday 21st May Venue: Riverside Studios, Crisp Rd, Hammersmith, London Box office: 020 8237 1111 Tickets: £9 and £6 DESERT RAIN is cutting edge art for the 21st century. It combines virtual reality and computer gaming in an experience that is the first of its kind in the world. Developed by Blast Theory during the course of a two year collaboration with Nottingham University's Computer Research Group, Desert Rain is part of the immensely sophisticated and intensely challenging eRENA programme which is investigating electronic entertainments arenas, using a unique software system branded MASSIVE 2. Each one of the six players is given a target to find and is zipped into a fabric cubicle. Standing on a footpad they face a screen of water spray. Projected onto the water screen is the virtual environment containing a hotel, a desert, underground tunnels and live video links. As the clock ticks down players must use their headsets to work as a team. Once all six have found their targets they emerge back into the real world. In the final two rooms fiction, reality and the imaginary are further entwined through disinformation and propaganda: personal accounts of the Gulf War are set against an inconvenient tragedy, buried by the media, hidden from the developed world. Desert Rain is a pioneering collaboration between art and science that will tour to Bristol, the Tramway in Glasgow, Stockholm, Manchester, ZKM in Karlsruhe and beyond in 2001. Blast Theory is intent on extending the borders of performance and entertainment: for their kidnap project, they selected ten individuals from amongst thousands of applicants, put them under surveillance, and finally kidnapped and incarcerated two of them, exposing them to the real-time scrutiny of the world wide web community for a full 48 hours. The Daily Sport said it was "depraved"; The Independent hailed it as "dangerous and thrilling"; and Stephen Armstrong in the Sunday Times Culture Section commented "no other performance I have ever seen has brought about such intense extremes of emotion". For further information call Helen Kirlew on 020 7375 0885 Visit Blast Theory's website www.blasttheory.co.uk Desert Rain is part of the eRENA programme of research into electronic arenas. Blast Theory have an international reputation for their performances, installations and new media work. Nottingham University is a world leader in research into Collaborative Virtual Environments. The project has been commissioned by Now niney9, Nottingham City Council and supported by DA2, Bristol, ZKM in Karlsruhe and the EU Kaleidoscope Fund. DESERT RAIN is supported by The Arts Council of England with National Lottery Funds.
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