Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have been waiting for!

(Curtains open)

It is my absolute honour to present to you the greatest Greek* invention of all time!

The Stage

What is a stage? 

It is the high achievement of a settled agricultural society, amassing material wealth, knowledge, and resources to construct a physical space: usually a semi-circle or a rectangle with a central, elevated section on which a specialized group of humans called the “artists” or the “athletes” may perform (bring to life) exquisite feats of skill. Their unique talents are highlighted and elevated above the rest of the people, which are called the Audience who observe the spectacle from a distance, usually bound to a designated space while their attention is focused on the Stage.

This psycho-social invention has brought us art as we know it today, from a sweaty EDM festival to the Olympic podium, from an exquisite ballet performance to a screening of the latest Avengers film. The power of this technology inspired and motivated everyone from Liszt to Drake, from Taylor Swift to Yo-Yo Ma.

The stage-audience dynamic is a unique way for humans to interact with one another,  and when done “right” according to the Greeks, it is capable of creating immense states of joy, catharsis, and unity. Think of the best concert or a crucial football game. Gifting us a collective experience that transcends how we normally understand the Other. Inspiring us to perceive something greater than our individual selves.

I have no doubt we are all intimately familiar with this technology as well as the power and beauty that it harnesses. Many of us spend our entire lives fighting to be on that specific stage or long deeply to re-live that feeling of deep catharsis we once experienced as part of an entranced audience.

I wish to state that there is nothing inherently wrong with the stage-audience dynamic. We are forever indebted to its self-witnessing and self-realizing power.  However, what I wish to highlight is the disbalance between entertainment and participatory art and culture, predominantly in “developed” countries and increasingly anywhere else in the world. I wish to dive into the limitations of this technology and some of the side effects that come from the late-stage capitalist over-dependence and perversion of this age-old vessel of experience.

How did we get here? 

Science. Progress. Innovation.

In the last 5,000 years, we have perfected this technology, bringing it to incredible new heights: creating the biggest stages, the brightest lights, and the loudest speakers. By specializing and training human beings for perfection in a given tradition or art form, we created Hanna Montana, Mozart, and Michael Jackson. 

By creating powerful digital technologies, we once again broke all barriers so anyone with exceptional talent, skill, and charisma could perform in front of millions with just the use of their phone. 

“Democratizing” access to the stage and “revolutionizing” the size, reach, and breadth of its impact.

Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it? 

And yet something feels missing in this trajectory. 

When we look at the usual diagram of a concert space, we notice the emphasis on each area and specialization. The lights guys must work with the sound gals, and the costume designers must work with the stage designers, the security personnel must work with the ticket clerks, bartenders and the washroom attendants.

Seems all covered, right?

And yet there is this big gaping hole that seems to be left right in the middle. 

The Audience

For all the 5,000 years of technological innovation, we seem to neglect this category the most. Sure, you can’t clap between acts at a fancy opera house or mosh too hard at select concert venues enjoying a kick-ass punk band. But that’s not what I am talking about. Those are rules, policies, and regulations mainly in place to instill order or ensure that people don’t hurt each other (and boy, do we fail at that..)  

What I am more curious about, however, is what happens in the dark. Pressed against a sticky bar, trying not to step on another person while they yell something to their friend behind you. Or while you’re trying to shake off that muscle cramp building up from sitting in the stiffest of concert hall chairs while you try to squint at a giant screen of a microscopic performance. 

This can’t be right… I paid $200 to be here!

You think as you get seizure symptoms from all the strobe lights or the endless barrage of cell phones trying to snap what a professional team of videographers is often capturing at the same time. With much better results if I may add. 

The experience becomes about letting other people know that you are having a good time. 

But are you having a good time? You’re not sure; in fact, you’re not sure what that even means anymore.

I have already ranted extensively about this feeling in a past essay about hype.

Of course, if you get the VIP tickets or are of royal blood and descent, your designated booth, salon, or balcony will have all the familiar features of comfort and luxury, and no one will step on your feet, so you can focus on the grand spectacle. 

And yet again, something still just doesn’t feel right.

I dressed up for this! I am ready to be part of the magic.

After being enchanted by the talent, craftsmanship, and so often an entire lifetime devoted to truth, beauty, and art (I am talking about real artists here)

Deep down, you wish you could be present in body and flesh. Sharing this moment with others, embracing it with your entire being. 

Deep down, you long to connect with the world through this experience, to embody it, to see and be seen, to witness and be witnessed. 

When you arrive at this realization, you begin to question how “advanced” the entertainment industry really is. 

Does it satisfy this core human need? Or does it give you something to post on Instagram?

Does it challenge your worldview and your illusion of separation? Or does it further muddle you in a drunken crowd, steering you towards consumption?

Does it activate and inspire your capacities? Or does it suppress and paralyze them through endless comparison: “I am not as talented, I wish I could dance like that..” 

After spending millions of dollars on gear, lights, and a sound systems, do you wonder what it would be like if someone genuinely greeted you when you came through the door? If other members of the “audience,” aka people, acknowledged your presence, complimented your great outfit, or just shared a smile and gave you space to be. 

Seems crazy, doesn’t it?

But what if it’s possible? What if instead of investing in the biggest screen or speaker, we invested in the audience, in practices and techniques that help loosen up the space between one another? 

Shifting the focus from the stage to the experience. From the artist to the art itself.

Is it fun to watch professional musicians get into deep states of trance and meditation? Absolutely.

Just as fun as feeling and observing your own body responding to sound, light, and the presence of others.

Just as fun as looking at all the beautiful people that share this world with you, breathing, moving, and dancing alongside you. 

Just as fun as engaging in spontaneous play, thereby creating space with others, embodying the art through your being.

This is all great, but how do you inspire and create space for people to think, feel, and interact on this level?

Great question! With it, I humbly welcome you to the doorstep of culture.

A deep longing to create space for loving play. 

To fulfill this desire, we can look to our ancestors who danced around a fire for thousands of years, celebrating, grieving, praying, and healing. We can look to all the resilient cultures around the world that keep their vernacular culture vibrant and strong.

What is vernacular culture you ask? This is the everyday culture of a people. These are skills, practices, and rituals that are observed by a large majority of a community and allow the members to express ideas and emotions, sharing immediately on the same level. It is a communication technology not any less advanced than Facebook and far more rewarding.

To give a basic example: think of salsa in Latin America or karaoke in Asia. 

The first random person off the streets of Cali will be a better dancer than me. Guaranteed.

But this is just one piece of the puzzle. 

To get the full scope of what culture can offer us, we must first understand what we need.

So often, I hear that Toronto has no culture. That’s simply not true; in our time and age, when you don’t have culture, the vacuum is instantly filled with cheap synthetic substitutes. Drugs that numb us to the deep longing that never leaves. Cheap consumer entertainment is one of those drugs.

To transform it, we must first give it attention. We must be brutally honest with ourselves.

Is this culture serving me? Do I feel happy, fulfilled, and engaged? Do I feel loved and understood? 

Answering these questions from the heart, will help guide your own culture creation. Inspiring deliberate choices, actions, and preferences that little by little shape the future of the entire world.

A lot to ask from a Taylor Swift concert. 

Yet the sheer number of people literally shook planet Earth at one of her last shows. Imagine what we could do if we transformed this energy from die-hard fandom to life-affirming fantasy, from idolizing to self-realizing, from entertainment to art embodied: healing. 

I have little faith in big scientific breakthroughs or the hottest show changing the world.

But I do believe in the power of a culture that satisfies humanity's deepest needs.

To love and be loved, is the journey and the destination.

With the whole world a stage.

Sanya 01/05/2024