Main prize for interactive, digital media design and games

A Prize. For an Online Theatre Piece.

“Once Upon Unsteady Grounds” has been awarded.

We’ve actually received a main prize. For a theatre piece that isn’t really a theatre piece. It’s digital. Interactive. And occasionally a bit chaotic.

Seven protagonists from Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela, the UK, and the US – spread across five time zones from Tijuana to London – created an experience with six crew members that floats somewhere between documentary, game, and collective thought spiral. We call it “Once Upon Unsteady Grounds.” Others now call it award-winning.

That people regularly vanished mid-scene due to unstable internet, that rehearsals happened between midnight and sunrise, and that our schedule was basically a conceptual art piece – none of this seems to have stood in the way of the prize.

We accept it with gratitude.
And hope it’s just the beginning of more interactive madness.

Thanks to everyone who joined, thought along, and sweat with us. And yes – we’ll be there for the award ceremony. Just need to figure out what time zone Schloss Mirabell is in.

With heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this possible: 
Concept & Direction: Reinhold Bidner, Tobias Hammerle, Sonja Prlic, Mara Vivas, Karl Zechenter 
Protagonists: Nathaniel Eras, Parisa Ghasemi, Derek Holguin, Haydee Jimenez, Sarut Komalittipong, Felix Ludwig, Ashkan Nematian, Ielizaveta Oliinyk, Sasapin Siriwanij 
Photography: Werner Kmetitsch/office@photowerk.at, Wolfgang Hilsse, Joerg Reichardt, Miguel Gracia, Mara Vivas' family archive 
Production & Assistance: Sophia Reiterer, Julia Buchwieser 
Media Art Consulting & Testing: Georg Hobmeier, Christian Knapp