Lulu Series: Darren O'Donnell

Darren O'Donnell, Mammalian Diving Reflex 
Haircuts by Children and Other Evidence for a New Social Contract

Thursday, April 5, 2018
7:00 pm | Richmond City Hall
Seating is limited
RSVP to lulu@richmond.ca

We live in an ‘adultitarian’ state, where the social rules are based on adult priorities and understandings of reality. Young people are often disenfranchised and powerless; they understand they’re subject to an authoritarian regime, whether they buy into it or not. But their unique perspectives also offer incredible potential for social, cultural and economic innovation.

Cultural planner and performance director, Darren O’Donnell believes that if we change how we think about children, then we just might change the world. For years, he has been collaborating with children through his company, Mammalian Diving Reflex, and his most well-known piece, Haircuts by Children (exactly what it sounds like) has been repeatedly performed around the world for over ten years.

O’Donnell’s proposes that the inclusion of children in as many realms as possible, not only as an expression of their rights, is a way to intervene in the world and to disrupt the stark economic inequalities perpetuated by the status quo. Deeply practical and wildly whimsical, Haircuts by Children might actually make sense. 

Darren O’Donnell is a filmmaker, performance director and the Artistic and Founding Director of Mammalian Diving Reflex. He is the author of three books and holds a BFA in theatre and a M.Sc. in urban planning from the University of Toronto. As an urban cultural planner, his focus is on participation and, in particular, the radical engagement of children and young people within cultural institutions. Past and current planning collaborators include the Humboldt Forum, Tate Modern, West Kowloon Cultural District, London International Festival of Theatre, Metropolitan Region of Rhine-Neckar, Schauspielhaus Bochum and Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. 

More at mammalian.ca.

This talk will be preceded by a short performance by award-winning tabla player, Amarjeet Singh. Founder of the Naad Foundation, Singh first began to learn tabla from his elder brother, Deedar Singh, following in the footsteps of Guru Shri Thakur Kishan Singh ji of Benaras Gharana. With a Masters degree in Music, Singh has performed around the world, including alongside many leading Indian musicians and dancers.