Transmedia is a popular term these days, but all it means is that the story is told across multiple platforms, channels and situations. Taking the story world fromThe Snow Witch novel by Matt Wingett we developed new characters and a new narrative that saw the city of Portsmouth threatened by the restless spirit of a dead woman.
Funded by Arts Council England, the story took place online and offline with a street art campaign seeding clues across the city followed by the release of the Darktide Dossier, a collection of stories by local writers that explored tales of missing people and hauntings across the city. Players joined a Facebook group to interact with story characters and were set puzzles that had them out hunting the cafes of Portsmouth for a lost set of tarot cards.
The story climaxed after 28 days of adventure with a final ritual performance at Groundlings Theatre featuring The Balkan Village Band a team of local actors supported by the rather amazing violin skills of Hana Maria. All under the musical direction of Gundula Gruen. The ritual summoned the ghost, danced by Nattalie Watson, and was finally reunited with her Grandmother before she went into the light.
You can see a short highlights video of the finale below which was shot and edited by students at Solent University. If you would like to read a more detailed account of the project take a look a The Snow Witch website. If you like a little magic realism in a contemporary setting you can also buy the book which we are sure you will enjoy.
The team behind the Cursed City – Dark Tide was drawn from artists, writers and media creatives from Portsmouth and the surrounding areas. The project was funded by Arts Council England and was delivered in the autumn of 2019 as part of Darkfest.
