Humble Market: Trade Secrets

Humble Market: Trade Secrets consisted of three interactive digital installations. The performance was shown from 22nd June - 26th August 2012 and was devised by Dr Ramos’s company ZU-UK in collaboration with FACT Liverpool, Abandon Normal Devices, Derry-Londonderry City of Culture 2013, and WE PLAY. It was originally commissioned for Cultural Olympiad Northwest and the London 2012 Festival. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture selected Humble Market: Trade Secrets to be part of the national arts programme in cities hosting the World Cup.

This practice research activity addressed the cultural tensions globalisation has caused in a Brazilian context. Immersing the audience in a world of consumerism was a strategy to explore what people value most when they are faced with ostensibly limitless choices. An actor guided groups through the installations every fifteen minutes and invited them to share personal stories with each other.

The practice research elements of Humble Market: Trade Secrets pertain to how digital technology can be utilised for transmedia forms of storytelling. Transmedia storytelling diverges from conventional dramatic structures by incorporating a range of different media formats during a live performance. These forms invite the audience to participate in the narrative by contributing personal stories during the event, thereby acting as co-authors of it. In a broader context, digital technology has linked all corners of the globe and accelerated the processes of globalisation.

Humble Market: Trade Secrets investigates how global citizens can meaningfully communicate outside of economic contexts. This is particularly pertinent for Brazil at a time when it is considered as one of the major emerging markets alongside Russia, India and China (the so-called BRICs).