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Museum Of Austerity

Enter a radical new documentary artform and witness the human stories of Austerity Britain in this arresting mixed reality installation.

‘The remaining emptiness of the museum hall when you take your glasses off is remarkable. We have been looking at ghosts’ Volkskrant
‘Hi-tech meets humanity in this devastatingly powerful look at the impact of Austerity.’ The Stage
‘It is impossible to look away from the shimmering figures that emerge in what appears at first to be an empty room. And that is the point.’ The Guardian
‘This documentary project elevates an urgent issue that is often so widespread and insidious it’s impossible to feel its magnitude without the power of collective testimony’ Cultured
‘These stories grab you by the throat and don’t let you go.’ Cultureel Pers Bureau

Museum of Austerity is more than an exhibition; it’s a blend of theatre, history and humanity. A place to reflect on the past, and confront the future.

Witness the human stories of Austerity Britain in this arresting mixed reality installation. 

In 2016, the UN found that “grave or systemic violations” of the rights of disabled people were taking place throughout the UK. Wearing a mixed reality headset, you will enter a striking, holographic gallery that lays bare the consequences when state safety nets fail. 

This powerful installation combines verbatim testimony with the skills of theatre/XR director Sacha Wares and the in-depth knowledge of John Pring, editor of Disability News Service. It was a finalist in the XR History Awards, nominated for Best Digital Innovation at the UK Theatre Awards and won International Documentary Festival Amsterdam’s (IDFA) Best Immersive Production

Co-produced by English Touring Theatre, Trial & Error Studio and National Theatre, in association with Young Vic.

Content Guidance

Museum of Austerity uses mixed reality headsets and contains material that some people may find distressing or challenging to engage with. For further information on what to expect please take a look at the Visitor Guide.

Age recommendation: 18+

Running Time: 45 mins in total including headset familiarisation

Click here for full visitor information


An ETT, Trial and Error Studio, and National Theatre co-production, presented in association with the Young Vic, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. UK Tour supported by Arts Council England and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Original R&D supported by CreativeXR. Soundscape development thanks to Genesis Kickstart Fund, supported by the Genesis Foundation. Original preview presentation co-commissioned by BFI London Film Festival – LFF Expanded.

Tickets

London Film Festival

6 - 17 Oct 2021

International Documentary Film Festival

17 - 28 Nov 2021

HOME Manchester

8 - 11 Nov 2023

Live Theatre, Newcastle

17 - 21 Apr 2024

Bristol Old Vic

12 - 15 Jun 2024

Galvanising Workshop, Gulbenkian Kent

26 - 29 Jun 2024

Kampnagel, Hamburg

26 - 28 Sep 2024

Young Vic

5 Dec 2025 - 16 Jan 2026 Tickets →

Videos

Creative Team

Interviewee

Mo Ahmed, brother of Sophie (Faiza) Ahmed

Interviewee

Peter Carré, father of Stephen Carré

Interviewee

Imogen Day, sister of Philippa Day

Interviewee

Nichole Drury, daughter of Moira Drury

Interviewee

Jill Gant, mother of Mark Wood

Interviewee

Helen Marston Hullah, sister of Diane Hullah

Interviewee

Dave Smith, brother of James Oliver

Interviewee

Gill Thompson, sister of David Clapson

Interviewee

Alison Turner, daughter-in-law of Errol Graham
Very special thanks to interviewee Joy Dove

Director & Co-Editor

Sacha Wares

Specialist Advisor & Co-Editor

John Pring

Composer

Adrian Lee

Costume & Physical Installation Designer

Miriam Buether

Sound Designer

Gareth Fry

Movement Director & Technical Staging

Leon Baugh

Mixed Reality Installation

All Seeing Eye

In Headset Hologram Lighting Designer

Prema Mehta

Installation Lighting Designer

Rob Pell-Walpole

Associate Physical Installation Designer

Luke Smith

Assistant Director

Hana Pascal Keegan

Casting Director

Amy Ball

Costume Supervisors

Shannon Martin, Kinnetia Isidore

Stage Managers (R&D and Shoot)

Shannon Martin, Shane Thom, Alice Wood

For All Seeing Eye

Technical Lead

Ollie Lindsey

XR Developer

Adam Child

XR Developer

Clarice Hilton

XR Developer

Robin North

Technical Support

Roderick Morgan

For Dimensions Studios

Dimensions Studios: Managing Director

Steve Jelley

Dimensions Studios: Head of Production

Adam Smith

Dimensions Studios: Producer/Technical Director

Sarah Pearn

Dimensions Studios: Operations Director

Kim Curtin Post

Dimensions Studios: Producer

James Hardwick

Dimensions Studios: Production Coordinator

Emily Coyne

Dimensions Studios: DIT

James Gadd & Toby Hyder

Dimensions Studios: Studio Technician

Bradley Cox

Dimensions Studios: Sound

Jack Cook

Dimensions Studios: Senior Lead Volumetric Technical Artist

Adrianna Polcyn

Dimensions Studios: Volumetric Technical Artist:

Sami Ling

Research Partner

Disability News Service

Volumetric Capture Partner

Dimension Studios

Executive Producers

Sacha Wares, Sophie Scull, Richard Twyman, Toby Coffey, Kevin Fitzmaurice

Producers

Benjamin Jacob Smith, Lauren Hamilton, Ellen Larson, Isadora Dooley Hunter, Maya Wilson, Peter Holland, Meg Fozzard & Andrew Hughes

Production Management

The Production Family; Dominic Seeber (HOME, Manchester)

Production Electrician (HOME, Manchester)

Daniel Taylor

Scenic Construction

Bakehouse

Hosts

Benjamin Smith, Stephen Allen, Brad Hackett, Theo Hung

Wellbeing & Access

Family Liaison

Megan Cronin (original production)

Artist Wellbeing Practitioner

Lou Platt

BSL Introduction

Adam McCormick, Deepa Shastri (original production)

Captions

Vicky Berry and Jenny Skene

Audio Description

VocalEyes

Access Consultancy

Rachel Bagshaw, David Bellwood, Daisy Hale, Richard Tilling, Rai Waddingham, Dr. Jay Watts

Workshop Leaders (UK Tour)

China Mills (Healing Justice London), Imogen Day, Gail Ward, Rebecca Yeo, Kieran Lewis

Thanks to:

Kate Baiden, James Baldwin, Richard Butchins, Ellen Clifford, Sophie Coombes Sue Emmas, Helen Fallows, Graeae Theatre Company, John Horan, Julia Horan, Tim Johanson, Melissa Johns and DANC, David Kaskel, Nicolas Kent, Mac at 26 Leake Street, Michael Morris, Jem Moorshead at Scenery, Salvage, The Park Plaza County Hall Hotel, Purni Morrell, Ian Rickson, Nina Salomons, Ajax Scott, Raz Shaw, Nick Starr, Richard Tilling, Dan Tucker, Claire Wardroper, Healing Justice Ldn

At the National Theatre:

Kirsten Adam, Sophie Barrett, Richard Booth, Richard Eustace, Gavin Gibson, Simon Godfrey, Paul Handley, Lee Harrington, Shane Hover, Kate John, Tony Kelly, Huw Llewelyn, Gary Pell, Dave Tuff, Marc Tritchler, Charlotte Bevan.

Additional content credit:

Audio clips broadcast by Parliament TV, from the Proceedings of the UK Parliament on: 22nd June 2010; 28th June 2010; 2nd December 2014; 27th October 2015; 3rd February 2016 ; 5th February 2020; 30th September 2020.

Additional content credit:

Incidental guitar music and paintings, by Mark Wood, included in Mark Wood's narrative, by arrangement with Jill Gant.

Additional content credit:

Helen Marston Hullah interview by Norman Thomas.

Cast

Shango Baku
Jenny Bolt
S.J. O’Kane
Gerard McDermott
Katie Matsell
Zoe Matthews
Lindy Pieri
Elliot Pritchard
Naima Swaleh
ETT placeholder

Singer

Tim Jones
ETT placeholder

singer

Jenni Roditi
ETT placeholder

Dog Handler

Robert Stuhldreer