Review: LOVE IN, VAULT Festival

Who would have guessed that, as part of the VAULT Festival, I would be spending time sitting in a shipping container, talking with a stranger about a man who will never love me back?

Stepping into the VOID (a literal shipping container) for Love In is like entering another world. Once the metal door opens and you are greeted by your host, the Lover (Amanda Grace), in a gorgeous sunflower dress, you forget the outside world of Waterloo with its loud bars and graffiti. As soon as you enter the space, Grace offers you coffee or tea and lets you sit anywhere you want on the blankets and pillows - there's even a chair for those uncomfortable with sitting on the floor. Pages from books and Polaroid photos of participants in previous Love In sessions cover the black walls along with fairy lights.

The session begins with a casual conversation as Grace asks me how my day has been. I tell her about a recent experience that had left me shaken and she acknowledged my anxiety while also offering some advice based on the situation. It felt like a beautiful mix of therapy and a chat with a friend, even though it was neither, as I was not paying for any services and I had never met Grace before. Grace does a beautiful job of ensuring "the safe and sustainable performance of care", helping visitors to the VOID feel comfortable while still helping them explore their feelings through a gentle conversation.

As the experience is incredibly personal and entirely depends on what you put into it; my topics included unrequited love, struggles with friendship, and the concept of working to avoid thinking. Grace shared some of her own life experiences, relating to the stories I had told her. During our conversation, she was writing a love letter, one that is "composed by the Lover during the session in response to their sharing". At times, it felt like I was back in my therapist's office with her scribbling notes on a notepad as I ranted about heartbreak, but the Love In session was much more comfortable and, as the title would suggest, loving.

As I left the VOID and returned to the real world, Grace handed me an envelope with my name on it; inside was not only a love letter but a handmade patch and some little stickers. There was also a slip of paper with a note from 19th-century French poet and novelist Alfred De Musset to George Sand expressing his love, and on the back of the paper, the Lover had written "It should be like this".

Ultimately, Love In is a magical experience, but I do have to question just how much of a theatrical performance it is. While I loved sipping on a nice warm cup of tea and having a conversation with someone in a shipping container, there was not necessarily a plot to follow. I hope that this wonderful performance can become more theatrical, leading to a lengthier storytelling experience.

Love In runs at the VAULT Festival in the VOID from 31 January to 19 March.

Photo Credit: VAULT Festival

VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.

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