MANILA, PHILIPPINES – On October 19 to 20, the Fifth Wall Fest returns with an exciting new chapter. This edition will host the UK’s Alexander Whitley Dance Company (AWDC) and Otmo, an innovative virtual reality platform that aims to showcase a unique blend of technology and artistry. AWDC, renowned for its pioneering use of technology to reshape dance, will offer hands-on VR sessions where participants can explore the dynamic intersection of physical movement and digital creation.
A Groundbreaking Workshop Experience
With the support of the British Council, participants will have the chance to engage in an immersive workshop and explore Otmo, merging dance with digital art and technology. This workshop redefines the future of creative collaboration, showcasing how technology can amplify artistic expression.
Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan, the British Council’s Head of Arts, underscores the transformative potential of technology for creatives. “Technology is an extraordinary tool for artists. It expands the possibilities of art and provides new, transformative ways to connect with audiences. At the British Council, we’re always excited to support innovative ways of expression,” he explains.
Otmo is a user-friendly tool that allows non-specialists to effortlessly sequence motion capture recordings in a 3D virtual space. AWDC, in collaboration with world-leading creative technologists and designers, have developed a tool that will allow users to generate high-quality digital movement content, special effects and complex patterns, all within an easy to navigate 3D space.
Who is Otmo for?
- Choreographers, movement directors, dancers, and dance educators who want to explore and create without access to studio space and dancers.
- Software and game animators, programmers, and developers who want an easy to use tool with high quality movement content and a simple but powerful timeline feature.
- Filmmakers, designers, and mocap creators who want to support their creative practice by having access to a 3D space where they can storyboard, pre-visualize and plan both their visual content and camera positions ahead of a project.
- Movement enthusiasts who are simply curious about virtual reality.
Sessions for professionals and the public are scheduled accordingly. No dance background required.
Launched online in 2020 as a home-based dance film festival during the pandemic, Fifth Wall has grown into the Philippines’ premier international movement platform. This year’s festival takes place at the historic residence of Narcisa’ Doña Sisang’ V. Buencamino-de Leon, the former president of LVN Pictures, an institution that helped shape the first golden era of Philippine cinema. The unique venue perfectly complements the festival’s ethos of breaking the ‘fifth wall’ — blurring the lines between artist and audience, stage and seating, body and home.
“Each iteration of our festival has been a step forward, but Edition V feels particularly special. It’s more than a milestone; it’s a reflection of how far we’ve come and a celebration of the body as home — not just as a place but as a feeling that exists within and between us,” shared Fifth Wall Founder Madge Reyes.
To take part in this year’s Fifth Wall Fest, tickets are available here.
