Projects in Development

Haircuts by Seniors

Haircuts by Seniors is a performance that slaps away the often preconceived societal expectation that people in advanced age are incapable of “keeping up” in our youth-obsessed culture. Haircuts by Seniors flips this norm, challenging audiences and viewers to set their vanity aside, relinquish control, and trust that a senior has the creative ability, dexterity and mental agility to command a sharp pair of scissors.

Haircuts by Seniors is a whimsical relational performance that playfully dismantles the barriers of social isolation experienced by our oldest and most vulnerable neighbours; ultimately it is a performance about the intimate and rare moments shared between two unlikely strangers.

Haircuts by Seniors will be presented by Art+People on October 4-5, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.

Haircuts by Seniors has been created as a Special Project specifically for Mammalian Diving Reflex’s 30th Anniversary. The World Premiere of Haircuts by Seniors at Art+People from October 4-5, 2024 will be:

Conceived and Developed by Darren O’Donnell & Ryan Lewis
Produced by Ryan Lewis & Marie Lola Minimo
Coordinated by Darren O’Donnell & Marie Lola Minimo
Local Production Support by Marion Chourane
Artistic & Community Assistance by Caroline Kempeneers
With special thanks to Accolage VZW, Maison Sainte-Monique, Résidence Sainte-Gertrude, Forum LDC, Hair Evasion, New Design

Presentation History

Art+People (2024)

Playgrounds on Fire!

Playgrounds on Fire! is a participatory experience in which a mixed hearing-and-deaf* audience is confronted by a playground that just won’t stop burning. In order to douse the fires, the audience has to come together to solve a series of puzzles, the clues for which are shared by our young team. There’s just one rule:

No spoken language!

The team can point, use sign language, red lights, green lights, massive emojis; anything in the world except spoken language!

Playgrounds on Fire! is being developed by an intergenerational deaf/hearing inclusive team in partnership with FELD Theater für junges Publikum in Berlin, Germany.

Collaborators include: Elli Kühne, Mia Wiethoff, Anna Deul, Darren O’Donnell, Jan Kress, Manuel Ahnemüller, and Steve Heather, who makes music you can feel in your bones.

*Deaf is a positive self-designation of non-hearing people, regardless of whether they are deaf, profoundly deaf or hard of hearing.