An Immersive Art Experience
ARC
About
PURPLE WAVE
Three friends--a scientist, an opera singer, and a filmmaker--each with a mutual love for the arts, got together for lunch to discuss a possible collaboration. Searching for a focus topic, Mike asked Erin if she knew of any songs that had anything to do with the oppression of women and female sexuality. Erin half-jokingly replied, "Pretty much all of the songs." And thus ARC was born.
In September 2018, Erin Alcorn (vocalist), Mike Mike McGuirk (filmmaker), and David Sliski (scientist) presented the first performance of ARC to an audience of 65 young listeners from the University of Pennsylvania and local Philadelphia area. The ARC team was formed the previous summer in an effort to create a community of graduate students and young patrons committed to discovering and supporting the arts.
The first performance explored issues around feminism, identity, gender, and dating in the 21st century. The team is passionate about using the classical arts and multimedia to explore current events and hot topics relevant to today's society. The team strives to incorporate the skills of local artists and artisans and to embrace the atmosphere of each new location and venue, making every performance unique.
Classical Arts. Unique Venues. Social Meet Ups.
.jpg)
ARC explores storytelling through operatic performance accompanied by cinematic visualizations to create an immersive theatrical experience. ARC strives to engage young patrons and expose them to the classical arts by providing intimate performances in nontraditional venues. It emphasizes collaboration between artists of various mediums, understanding it is the immersive quality and artist-to-artist support that provides a truly powerful experience
MISSION
Founders:
Erin Alcorn, vocalist
Michael McGuirk, filmmaker
David Sliski, technologist/ producer
Intimate Performances
+
Cool Venue
+
Awesome People
Meet The Team
.jpg)
The Song-Film Recital
Pairing art song with cinema, the ARC performance explores the psyche and its attachment to modern love stories from the perspective of the viewer. The collaboration explores issues with feminism, identity, gender, and dating in the 21st century. The narrative follows the experience of first love, the loss of a relationship, the darkness that follows, self-discovery, and the illumination of how perspective can change over time. In a world of commercialized romance, virtual living, and monetized escapism, ARC explores truth and our understanding of what is real.
The music features an eclectic group of American and international classical composers from all eras. With the help of technologist David Sliski, filmmaker Michael McGuirk explores the use of techno-cinematic abstractions such as projection mapping, interactive 3D graphics, live-coding, and documentary footage to enhance the story telling.
The collaboration also features an eclectic group of musicians and artists in the performance to illuminate the latter issues and contribute to the immersive experience of the evening. Past performances have included live jazz, classical guitar, live performance art, art galleries, photography displays, and the culinary arts.
Performances are followed by a DJed after party for mingling and discussion.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"Amazing venue with a good mix of indoor and outdoor spaces...
The immersive opera itself was wonderfully integrated. Cocktails and food were en pointe."
“This was one of the best events I’ve attended... The diverse range of arts juxtaposed with one another resulted in a wonderful experience that stimulated all of one’s senses and made the arts accessible to an audience of students with different backgrounds. Even when the arts were in the background, they helped spark eye-opening conversations with local artists and students from multiple graduate schools- all of them bringing their unique perspectives and experiences with them. I admire the organizers efforts in not only showcasing the extra-curricular talents of Penn students, but also engaging with the Philadelphia community and supporting local artists."
"A great evening featuring many different artforms with an gathering of very interesting people. Would recommend to anyone if this is your type of event!"
"An Immersive evening into a superbly-curated mosaic of art forms. A thoroughly enjoyable experience that awakens all of one’s senses."
WATCH
LOOK
CONTACT
ARC Founders
Erin Alcorn, soprano
Michael McGuirk, filmmaker
David Sliski, technologist/ producer
Contact
