The creators of The Crossing:
Neil Bell is an internationally renowned writer, director and game creator. He has won several awards and has among other things been engaged in the refugee crisis with several visits to Lesbos and Lampedusa, meeting, interviewing and documenting their journeys. He has created several films, games, board games and VR-installations. Neil has written the script and been in charge of the film process of The Crossing. His company Impact Unified (SWE) was formed in 2016 and produces games and web documentaries. Impact Unified has expertise in web based interactive films, games and Virtual Reality (VR) and has been involved in the creation of board games as an educational tool at schools and youth centres and is developing VR based maths and physics educational tool for schools and universities. They work in serious gaming and one of their projects ‘The Backway’ intends to make players more empathetic towards refugees and migrants.
Skillinge Theater has been a cultural centre in Österlen, Sweden since 1995, in the region of Skåne and an outstanding amount of productions and performances have been made over the years. Even though the theatre is located in a small fishing village wiooth only 9000 inhabitants it has gained a strong reputation throughout Sweden. The theatre draws about 8,000 people each year and is well integrated in the local community. Since Karin Johansson-Mex, one of two Artistic Managers took over the leadership of theatre in 2017, the much acclaimed institution has aimed to explore other aspects of stage art such as 3D-sound, Virtual Reality and digitalized scenery. With her background as Head of Research Centres of Moving Media as well as a filmproducer, dramaturge and editor, Karin continues to search new ways of storytelling. Together with the theatres stage designer Marta Cicionesi they co-created the space and installation point at Skillinge Teater, who is responsible of the tour in Scandinavia.
Duellmann Filmproduktion (DE) was founded in 2012 by Susanna Duellmann. Several short films and features have been developed, produced and published at festivals and commercially, online, offline and theatrically. Coming from a background that includes media art and theatre, it seems natural for producer Susanna Duellmann to include VR/online and VR-on-site projects in the company’s portfolio. Susanna has worked on intercultural and refugee projects for over 20 years.
Additional participants:
bMECTE is a Swedish not-for-profit organisation working in the fields of art and education. The Organization’s objectives are to promote, maintain, improve and advance education by the encouragement of the arts, including the arts of film, games, drama, dance music, and other artistic mediums to formulate, prepare and establish schemes therefore
Bombina Bombast (SWE) is a touring performing arts company based in Malmö, Sweden. Since they began in 2011, the company has created over 30 original works for stage and film characterised by the meeting between performing arts and innovative technologies such as VR. The company has presented their work at several festivals and stages around the world, gaining international reputation as groundbreaking and experimenting top notch artists. CCCF builds on the zeal and mission to bring topics like intercultural dialogue to the local grass root communities. The organization works with a number of projects, primarily actions and programs concerning intercultural dialogue, concepts of otherness, migration, inclusion, refugee or migrant settlement, and elimination of discrimination of all forms. CCCF are always encouraged and proud to be part of new partnerships and projects that are in one way or another involved with these topics in our local communities, and that are intentionally working towards cultural diversity, and want to be part of making the Nordics and EU at large places that are culturally aware, empathetic, harmonious, and livable by all. These are the connecting principles behind their decision to take an active part in The Crossing.