The Old Globe Presents Free AXIS Event THE JOURNEY ENCORE INSTALLATION

The Old Globe believes that theatre matters and our work each day is to make theatre matter to more people! We invite friends, families, and wonder seekers to our latest free AXIS event, The Journey Encore Installation, from Wednesday, October 4 to Sunday, October 8. This exciting presentation is interactive and participatory, and everybody is welcome to walk through it on the Globe's Copley Plaza, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park! The ever-changing installation features lighting inspired by the design palette and music from our current hit, the delightful world premiere musical Benny & Joon, based on the beloved offbeat '90s romantic comedy movie. The Journey was first seen at the Globe in February 2017 and was recently featured at Burning Man. To start the weekend with a bang for arts aficionados who wish to learn more about the process, The Journey Team will host a Q-and-A Session on Friday, October 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the Plaza.

The Journey is presented as an expression of the chromosomal double helix that is part of all life on Earth. This project comes alive as an ultra-sensory torus sculpture that encourages contemplation, interface, relationship, and wonder. Through music, lighting, design, and responsive technology, The Journey allows participants to work individually or in collaboration to actively change the immediate experience within and around the installation.

"With such a tremendous response to The Journey earlier this year, we knew we wanted to invite San Diego back to AXIS, our free performing arts series," said the Globe's Director of Arts Engagement Freedome Bradley-Ballentine. "This installation is larger than the first, with light and sound that will surely enhance the interactive experience. It represents a seamless integration with what we are doing on Copley Plaza. We also wanted our audiences to really dive into the artists' process and inspiration, so a Q-and-A session with The Journey Team has been added to the program for people to learn how something like this gets developed and the reasoning behind its creation."

AXIS is supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. Financial support is provided by The City of San Diego.

The Journey Team is a group of friends, artists, and people well-experienced with Burning Man culture. On the surface of things, it sometimes appears that nothing ever changes and that nothing ever will. And yet, everything around us is in a constant state of shift and change, from the grandeur of the Himalayas to the minutiae of the atom. This observation of shift and change is expressed on both large and intimate scales with this project. This series of passive and active, reflexive and dynamic expressions aims to engender a state of solitary introspection as well as communal observation. Additionally, the purpose of The Journey is to bring a large-scale, climbable, interactive structure to the public. It is intended to be a moveable project that will have a life of community interaction beyond the 2017 Burning Man experience.

About AXIS: One of the ways The Old Globe's Arts Engagement team exemplifies its mission to make theatre matter to more people is through a program called AXIS, where free cultural programs on the Globe's Copley Plaza are led by local artists and craftspeople. 9.5 million visitors pass through Balboa Park each year. The Old Globe strives to engage this population as we transform our non-performance space into a participatory art venue, utilizing the Globe's unique physical location as an opportunity for connectivity and creative placemaking. AXIS is an effort to broaden our concept of audience, extending beyond regular ticket-holders and encompassing diverse, multigenerational constituencies from communities across San Diego County.

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Guests may also be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. The Balboa Park valet is also available during performances, located in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden. For additional parking information, visit www.BalboaPark.org. For directions and up-to-date information, please visit www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/detailed-directions.