ANAGRAM

LAST DAY tomorrow ‼️ See Impulse at the BFI London Film Festival before Sunday! Don’t miss your choice to see this critically acclaimed mixed reality installation at the Southbank Centre’s Undercroft, as featured in the Financial Times, The Telegraph, AnOther Magazine, Time Out London, Dazed Digital, and The Hollywood Reporter. Book now: https://lnkd.in/eaDFCY8J

On Friday night, we are having an 🥁 opening party 🥁 to celebrate the unwrapping of Undershed at Watershed. Nearly 3 years ago to the day - Jo Lansdowne, Mark Cosgrove and I were sitting in the bar and started talking about what it might be like to have a space to show interactive and immersive work at Watershed. We had all noticed a tipping point - there was enough work, enough curiosity from audiences and the BFI had started funding more than just films. But most of the time, brilliant work got programmed at a festival or two and then it disappeared... 🎛 So here we are… Almost there. 🎚 But what is it? And what are we doing in there, behind the curtains? Undershed opens with Sing the Body Electric - a collection of work from a group of brilliant artists who draw a playful line from film to sculpture, using all sorts of digital tools to elegantly weave your pathway along that line. From Margaret Salmon’s beautiful two channel 16mm film exploring touch between loved ones to Yeseul Song’s invisible forms in mid air that you have to recreate with small lumps of clay, AATOAA’s playful invitation to meet myriad bodies in the moving mirror to Ben Andrew’s deft disorientation of your sensual relationship with a familiar place. And that’s just the first collection… The reason I started making this sort of work with May Abdalla and ANAGRAM in 2013 was because I fell in love with a different way of doing things - where the story and the ideas got inside you, because they asked something more from you than just sitting down and watching from the sidelines. For me, what really ties the work in Sing the Body Electric together - beyond their interest in the body and how we meet the world in an embodied way - is an open-hearted approach to inviting people in. Each of the pieces is asking you, the audience, to spend time, to respond - and to be open. It is my hope that Undershed - with all that it is beyond the artworks themselves - manages to create that atmosphere, and I am very curious to see what emerges if it does. Come and visit us! https://lnkd.in/dBq56mZ3

Celebrating Our Founder’s Inspiring Work at the BFI London Film Festival! Last week, our CEO and founder, Omar Mentesh, had the privilege of being part of the BFI London Film Festival during a transformative and thought-provoking evening. The event featured the mixed reality experience of Impulse: Playing with Reality, which powerfully depicted Omar's life story, from his challenging upbringing to his journey of change and growth. This immersive portrayal of Omar’s experiences, shaped by ADHD and impulsive behavior, was an emotional and profound reminder of the challenges many face, and the remarkable resilience it takes to overcome them. Following the mixed reality experience, Omar joined a live Q&A panel alongside esteemed experts, including Professor Edmund-Barke from King's College London. The panel delved into deep conversations around ADHD, impulsive behavior, and the impact these factors have on people’s lives. Omar’s reflection during the Q&A left a lasting impression: “When poor/disadvantaged people have ADHD, they might end up in prison. When a rich/privileged individual has ADHD, they might find themselves climbing Mount Everest.” The night ended with a celebratory meal with the incredible ANAGRAM and the Impulse participants, capping off what was a transformative experience for everyone involved. We are incredibly proud of Omar’s ongoing work and his commitment to driving meaningful conversations around these important issues. A huge thank you to all who made this event so memorable. #ADHD #MixedReality #SocialChange #BFILondonFilmFestival #ChangingPerspectives

Great turnout for two special events at Science Gallery London recently, bringing together artists, academics and those with lived experience to better understand today's big challenges: The Attention Battle with London Film festival, ANAGRAM and Prof Edmund Sonuga-Burke exploring the recent rise of ADHD diagnoses through 'Impulse: Playing with Reality', by UK studio Anagram. Narrated by Tilda Swinton, it shares four accounts of people experiencing intense emotions, using mixed reality animations to connect their experiences with yours. Art x AI: Collective Intelligence, Collective Governance with Prof Mercedes Bunz with artists Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst asking if we can train creative AI more fairly through shared governance, using Serpentine's current 'The Call' exhibition as a case study. Supported by BRAID Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Thanks Jen Wong King's Culture and all contributors :)

Last night at the BFI London Film Festival was truly unforgettable! The evening began with the mixed reality experience of Impulse: Playing with Reality, and it was an incredibly emotional journey for me. Stepping into such an immersive portrayal of my own story brought back intense memories of my chaotic childhood and teenage years. It felt like I was reliving those difficult days, shaped by the challenges of ADHD and impulsive decisions. The way the experience transported me back to that period in my life was both overwhelming and powerful, reminding me of just how far I’ve come. After the mixed reality session, I met up with the brilliant ANAGRAM crew, who brought this vision to life, as well as the other individuals from Impulse; Errol, Leanne, and Tara. We headed to the Science Gallery for the main event and live Q&A, which was one of the most beautiful and powerful experiences I’ve had the privilege to be a part of. The esteemed and learned Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke, who is the professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience at King’s College was also on the panel. The questions from the audience were insightful, sparking deep and meaningful conversations about ADHD, impulsive behavior, and the impact of these experiences on our lives. There was an electric energy in the room, and the honesty shared between everyone involved made it an unforgettable discussion. I closed the Q&A with a reflection that resonated deeply: “When poor/disadvantaged people have ADHD, they might end up in prison. When a rich/privilged individual has ADHD, they might find themselves climbing Mount Everest.” We capped off the evening by celebrating with the entire Anagram team and my fellow Impulse participants with a meal and drinks at Rambutan bar/restaurant. It was the perfect end to such a transformative journey for everyone involved. A huge thank you to Rambutan for the amazing service and hospitality! I’m so grateful to everyone who made this experience possible; thank you to Anagram and all who attended for creating such an engaging and memorable night. #BFILondonFilmFeatival #Documentary #MixedReality #ADHD

Very exciting day ahead! 🤩 I’m in London for the premiere of ‘Impulse: Playing With Reality’ - a mixed reality experience from ANAGRAM 🎥 Anagram have been working closely with ADHD individuals to ensure they capture and portray an accurate depiction of what life is like with ADHD 🧠💭 It’s amazing to see modern technology being used to raise awareness of ADHD in such a unique way 🙏🏻 Massive thanks to Jonny Goode and Elaine H. for inviting us along! 🙌🏻 #adhd #adhdawareness #impulse #mixedreality

It's time to meet the characters in Impulse: Sharing my story with ANAGRAM for Impulse: Playing with Reality, I focused on the early years of my life where I was navigating a lonely, chaotic and scary life which was compounded with my ADHD, which led to me literal standing on the edge on countless occasions. Looking back now as a 42-year old father to a five year old son, leaves me with untold emotions and if I’m honest, sadness, as it was at the age of 5 the trajectory was set for me to end up in the darkest of places. I’m also sad because I cannot tell you how many times I sat on the edge of a business block as a teenager and daydreamed about a documentary I watched the day before, wantjnh to be a part of the “real world”, yet I was jumping across ledges 100ft high. The darkest irony is, then I could only find tranquility when I was standing next on the edge of the abyss, is when everything was focused on just staying alive. No guilt, intrusive thoughts, self criticism etc etc etc. Looking at this short promotional clip, it’s as close to real as it could get. It’s actually mind blowing, because that scene is something that I have relived for many years and is as vivid as yesterday. It was a rough and traumatic journey growing up, so my main hope throughout all of this, is that other young people out there who are feeling like all is lost and they have no future; that I’m here to tell them none of that is true. It’s not easy, but in no way impossible. I am a different person to who I was in past and I assume it’s hard for people who met post crazy life, to place me in these scenarios. To be honest, it’s hard for me to do at times, but I guess that’s the power of true change…you cross a personal rubicon (or a few) and you become a new person. #ImpulseXR #MixedReality #ADHDGamers #ADHD #ADHDAwareness #VRExperience #MetaQuest #VirtualRealityExperience #Neurodivergent

Meet the characters of Impulse: Playing with Reality! ⬇ Available to download on Meta Quest: https://lnkd.in/e822TdZV 🎟 See it IRL at the BFI London Film Festival: https://lnkd.in/epYCgTnU #ImpulseXR #MixedReality #ADHDGamers#ADHD #ADHDAwareness #VRExperience#MetaQuest #VirtualRealityExperience#Neurodivergent

Fantastic day demoing ANAGRAM's Inside Mental Health to the Surrey Occupational Therapists Conference over at Royal Holloway, University of London yesterday. It was great getting such amazing feedback from those working on the frontline, and hope to be back there again soon! Thanks again to Prof. Alexandra Palombi and all the team at RHUL.

What a week it’s been! We’ve just launched IMPULSE on the Meta Quest store today and are just catching our breath after returning from Venice—where we picked up a new pet 🦁, no less! IMPULSE, our new piece about how our minds work and living with ADHD, was awarded the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize at the 81st Venice International Film Festival last week. It was two years in the making with a team of brilliant and talented folks, and hats off to you all for caring deeply about making something that can honestly represents something as complicated as ADHD. Featuring the powerful and poignant stories of Tara, Leanne, Errol and Omar. Thanks for the curators Liz and Michel, and the Venice Festival for seeing the potential of this medium for art and storytelling rather then just the tech. After a star-studded brush with the likes of Pedro Almodovar and Abderrahmane Sissako, and a round of applause from airport security (“Is that a Venice lion in you bag?!”), we are coming back down to earth. We’re buzzing for the Meta Store launch, and our upcoming UK Premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. 𝕆𝕦𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕨: https://lnkd.in/eNkmd8S4 𝔹𝔽𝕀 𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥𝕤: https://lnkd.in/eKmxFJzB