ETT, Trial and Error Studio and National Theatre in association with the Young Vic present
Museum Of Austerity
Time slots available from 1pm to 9pm Monday - Saturday
Soul Mate booking - opens Wednesday 14 May midday
Friends and Good Friends booking - opens Friday 16 May midday
Public booking - opens Monday 19 May midday
“Hi-tech meets humanity in this devastatingly powerful look at the impact of Austerity”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage
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.
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.
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
"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
Visitor Guide - Essential Reading
ToggleAge Recommendation
ToggleAge Recommendation: 18+
A number of supporting events will accompany the run, including an event with Imogen Day and China Mills from the Deaths by Welfare project at Healing Justice Ldn, further details to be announced.
Imogen Day has been campaigning for changes to the welfare system ever since her sister, Philippa Day, died in 2019, due to fatal mistakes within the benefits system.
Supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Image credit Émilie Chen.
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 and 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
Interviewees: Mo Ahmed, Peter Carré, Imogen Day, Nichole Drury, Jill Gant, Helen Marston Hullah, Dave Smith, Gill Thompson, Alison Turner
Cast (Holographic Representations): Shango Baku, Jenny Bolt, Katie Matsell, Gerard McDermott, S.J. O’Kane, Lindy Pieri, Elliot Pritchard, and Naima Swaleh
Museum of Austerity is wheelchair accessible and has the following available at all performances:
Audio Description
Captions (appearing in the headset)
Optional removal of sensitive content
Pre-recorded BSL video introduction
Sighted guide assistance is available at any performance, if arranged in advance.
Full details of further accessibility options are included in the Visitor Guide.
