Hazel Grian
A pioneer of interactive drama, specialising in robots, Hazel began as a live performer & filmmaker. In a 35 year career, she is driven by her ambition to bring stories to audiences by ‘any medium necessary’.
Projects
A TendencyTo Spill: using a chatbot as a storytelling platform.
This project began with an 1100-word short story I wrote a couple of years ago. I wanted to find out how much more of an intensely intimate reading experience I could create by using one-to-one digital interactivity.
Worked on
We Sing In Fire And Blood
We Sing In Fire And Blood is a virtual reality 'opera' exploring how we survive extreme violence. It is a unique and powerful VR piece based on a true story.
How To Build A Robot
What would happen if you found an abandoned robot alone in the streets at night Would you stop? Would you touch it and share your thoughts and vulnerabilities? And would this alter your perception of what you are?
Scriptwriting 360 Drama, Empathy and Mental Illness
This 360 drama app was created by Play Nicely with me, to help Nursing students understand the signs of mental illness in patients.
Being There
Being There brings a group of brilliant creative practitioners, technologists and academics together to explore how cutting-edge robotics can enable people to participate in public space.
My Big Break
"What shall I do? Angelina Jolie just offered me $10m to spike Jennifer Aniston's salad with nuts to set off her terrible allergy! Tell me what to do..."Rupert, a Hollywood wannabe, needs your advice. Can you help him achieve money, fame *and* happiness? My Big Break is a game for web-enabled mobile…
South West Artists Residencies 2010
In 2010, Watershed commissioned two research residencies at the Pervasive Media Studio that supported South West artists, to produce and present projects at the juncture of art, pervasive technologies and culture.
The Tweeture
A social creature, a monster/ robot keen to make friends. This soft, lovable robot is carried around to meet people, lively and hungry for social and digital interaction.Hazel's current project, We SIng In Fire And Blood, is a dramatic experimental musical (VR installation & live stage play) inspired by her incredible recovery from a brutal attack in Bristol, 2010, which brought her the love of the whole city & made national news. Hazel's artistic response explores the area between contemporary theatre, opera & musicals, pushing the boundaries of the form. Supported by Bristol Old Vic & Arts Council England, there will be a performance in July 2024. Hazel began with 15 years in comedy, theatre, radio, film & animation, followed by a decade of experimentation in Alternate Reality Games, interactive drama, robots, & smell! The Simpsons creator Matt Groening said “Hazel Grian is a funny, filmmaking genius”. She has worked with the band Portishead, Aardman Animations, & JJ Abrams on Star Trek. She lives & writes in a village outside Bristol with her Jack Russell Bertie.