As we prepare for another vibrant year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we’re pleased to announce A.I. Campfire as part of our 2025 programme at Venue 13. This 20-minute immersive experience stands out for its thoughtful integration of digital storytelling and Scottish folklore, offering audiences a moment of reflection around a sculptural fire where past, present, and speculative futures converge.

Created by Toasterlab and directed by Ian Garrett—whose work many will remember from Aionos (ZOO, 2023) and Transmission (Futureplay/Assembly, 2017)—A.I. Campfire brings together emerging technologies and ancestral knowledge in a way that feels grounded and considered. Garrett, who also serves as Associate Professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University in Toronto, has long explored the intersection of sustainability, scenography, and immersive design. His scenographic approach, informed by ecoscenographic principles, shapes a multisensory environment where sound, light, and spatial composition evolve in real time with the narrative.

Audiences are invited to join Symbiolene, an A.I. entity trained on centuries of myth and oral tradition, as it channels stories of Selkies, Kelpies, and other shapeshifting spirits deeply rooted in Scottish culture. Written, co-directed and co-produced by Vanesa Kelly of V-Kind Arts and Theatre, this is a debut production that signals a meaningful commitment to stories that reconnect us with the land and with each other. Kelly’s approach acknowledges the role technology might play in revitalizing ancestral teachings, and A.I. Campfire is the result of a collaboration that balances technological curiosity with cultural reverence.

This is not a show about replacing tradition with machines. Instead, it raises questions about what we choose to remember—and how we might listen differently when stories are told in unfamiliar ways. We’re excited to share this work with Fringe audiences and proud to host it at Venue 13.

Tickets for A.I. Campfire are now live via the Edinburgh Fringe website:

🔗 https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/a-i-campfire

We look forward to welcoming you to the fire.