Artists Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley and Symoné will collaborate on an interactive talk exploring agency and spectatorship in the intersections between live art and gaming. This event follows on from a two day game jam exploring the same theme, but will focus on the two artists’ approach to integrating game methodology in their different visual and performance practices.

Our first Associate Collectors of 2026, Symoné and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley will curate a selection of materials to be added to LADA’s Live Art Research Collection, available to explore on the night.

This talk follows a two day game jam responding to the central theme of spectatorship and agency in collaboration with London Games Festival 2026. Co-hosted by artists Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley & Symoné, this collaborative game jam will explore experimental approaches to gaming/playable art, live art, and immersive digital practice.

Symoné

Symoné is a Guinness World Record-holding queer interdisciplinary performer, director, and alternative game designer working across circus, cabaret, performance art, and game technologies. Blending pole dance, rollerskating, hula hoop, and immersive design, her work thematically explores power , spectatorship, and the unconscious through form-driven performance. She has performed internationally, including with Nile Rodgers and Peaches, and created various personal productions; A Place Between Mass & Echoes, Nullspace Motel, UTOPIAN (t&cs apply) and Euphorica. Symoné studied a BA in Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies and studied game development with Code Coven Academy. Her work has been commissioned by leading UK institutions and is a previous artist-in-residence at Live Art Development Agency (2025), where she also founded the Live Art and Gaming Network.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley (b. 1995, London) lives and works between Berlin and London. Working predominantly in animation, sound, performance and video game development, and with a background in DIY print media and activism, the artist’s practice focuses on intertwining lived experience with fiction to imaginatively retell stories of people they seek to archive. Danielle utilizes interactive technologies to create participatory spaces that challenge traditional narratives and encourage active engagement. Their projects often take the form of immersive video games, where players navigate choices that confront their assumptions and biases, fostering deeper conversations about identity, privilege, and systemic oppression. Through their innovative use of digital media, Danielle not only preserves histories but also envisions inclusive futures where the voices of those that are ignored or erased are central. Their work is both ‘archive and insurgency’, a catalyst for dialogue, inviting audiences to reflect on their roles within broader societal structures.

Access Information

Event information: The interactive talk will be an hour long and includes active audience participation. This is a seated event. Various seating options will be available including fold out chairs, office chairs, a sofa and a bench. All are welcome to join in a relaxed space and are free to come and go as they please. The lighting will be fixed with no sudden changes and microphone amplification will be used. There may be loud music at times. There are disposable masks and hand sanitiser available. After the talk there will be an opportunity to socialise.

LADA space: The building is wheelchair accessible by lift and provides a wheelchair accessible ground-floor bathroom. All bathrooms are gender inclusive. There is no isolated quiet space inside, but there is a small quiet outdoor area. Some of the art on display in the space includes naked bodies. You can find more information and see photos of the space here. Should you have any particular access requirements, please email kane@thisisliveart.co.uk and we will be happy to offer further support.

Content notes: This Interactive Talk explores agency and spectatorship. Please email kane@thisisliveart.co.uk if you would like more information on what to expect.

Please note this event will be recorded.