Washington, DC
SHRINES
Adventure awaits.
SHRINES is a set of six art installations. Each one is unique, site-specific, interactive and entirely free. From March 21 through April 25, 2021, six curious and wondrous Shrines will appear throughout the region's landscape, waiting to be discovered. Explorers, adventurous participants who choose to journey to one or many Shrines, will travel and enact a Ritual connecting them to the magic of a Shrine, its location, and other Explorers who have been there. Then, Explorers may uncover more by sharing their journey online and connecting with each other over the magic of SHRINES. Visitation | The complete calendar for SHRINES will be published on this site soon. Be sure to check each Shrine's guide page for locations, hours of visitation, ritual instructions, site reports for safety & accessibility, SHRINES media and more. Visitation to a Shrine is entirely free, there is no tithe. COVID Safety | SHRINES is designed to be COVID-safe. Locations will be predominantly out of doors, or in locations with adequate space and quality ventilation. Rituals are designed to be performed solo, but can also be performed in small groups. Masks covering the nose and mouth will be required of all visitors. In the event that Explorers should cross paths, enough space will be available to maintain both social distance and a sense of privacy during the ritual. Hand sanitizer will be provided, as will disinfectant, and Explorers will be asked to participate as custodians of the Shrine in visitation and be mindful of one another in solitude. Accessibility | SHRINES locations haven’t yet been finalized, but we will prioritize accessibility. The six sites will pepper the DC-MD-VA region, so look out for the one that’s closest to you. Each Shrine will be a complete, holistic experience in and of itself一don’t feel like you’re missing out if you can’t visit them all. While many Shrines may be out of doors, we will prioritize sites whose topography provides access for Explorers of many kinds. When the maps are published, each location will have a scouting report detailing things like on site travel distances, terrain, metro access and parking, and more. Shrines and Rituals will also be designed with access in mind, with alternative options for Ritual elements that might require things like manual dexterity, balance, etc. from Explorers.
Audience Role
Explorers, adventurous participants who choose to journey to one or many Shrines, will travel and enact a Ritual connecting them to the magic of a Shrine, its location, and other Explorers who have been there. Then, Explorers may uncover more by sharing their journey online and connecting with each other over the magic of SHRINES.
Ages: 13 +
Content Advisories
Interaction Advisories
Mobility Advisories
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Events
6
Years on EI
About The Arcanists, Inc.
The Arcanists produce live, interactive, creative nonfiction performances in ongoing series to build recurring platforms that foster direct, long-term connection among artists and audiences. We produce interactive shows where the audience is part of the story, empowered to change what happens in real time. We produce creative nonfiction because we want what happens to be as real as the artists and audiences that create it. Our aesthetic embraces the arcane and the esoteric because they engender a sense of play and wonder that can unlock deeper meaning. There is a bit of peculiar, carnivalesque magic in everything we do. Our current lineup includes The Tarot Reading, The Internet: LIVE!!1, and SHRINES. Our work has been called "a perfect balance of campy indulgence...that defies easy categorization" (DCist), "fresh and daring" (DCTS) and "A wholly new framework for experiencing live theater" (DCMTA).