Alternative Realities: A Discussion about Live Art & Gaming with Symoné

Symoné

Symoné (she/they) is a Guinness World Record-holding interdisciplinary circus artist, video game designer, creative director and cabaret and performance artist, with British and American roots. Symoné’s physical practice has a focus on challenging traditional circus and pushing the boundaries of what circus is. She combines 6″ high-heeled roller skating with hula hoops, pole dance and voguing, creating surreal and high-energy shows. Since embarking on her artistic journey in 2016, Symoné has taken her act to international stages, leaving an indelible mark in 10 different countries, from the United States and the West End to India. She has had standout moments, such as roller skating alongside Nile Rodgers, performing on West End stages with magicians like Chris Cox at The Palace Theatre, and collaborating with Machel Montano and Omi on their hit song Hula Hoop (Precision Remix) at Machel Monday, Trinidad’s largest concert. She has worked with artists and companies such as Instagram, Peaches, Jon Hopkins, Taylor Mac, Guinness World Records, ASOS, Soho House, Kurt Geiger, Britain’s Got Talent, Paul Smith, Omi and Samsung, and she’s been featured in publications like Time Out, Instagram Editorial, Gay Times, QX Magazine, Diva and The Stage.

Symoné is also a director of personal theatre productions UTOPIAN (t&c’s apply) and Euphorica, having been commissioned by entities such as Cambridge Junction, Trigger Stuff, The Place, and Arts Council England, with shows touring across the UK. She holds a BA in Anthropology from SOAS and she has been awarded a full scholarship at Code Coven Games Academy. As a game designer, she focuses on rethinking traditional video games formats and mechanics and she’s experimenting with ways to queer the medium and its narratives. This includes not only creating queer protagonists and exploring gender performativity, but also rethinking the very nature of how games are played by creating DIY controllers to challenge traditional mechanics and creating ‘anti-games’, i.e. games with goalless and games with emotions and atmosphere as a primary focus. Her dedication to the gaming community extends beyond her own work, as she is the founder of Melanin Power Up that just launched, a community for LGBTQIA+ people of colour focused on learning accessible game design, supported by UK Black Pride and NYX Professional Make-Up. 

Symoné’s website / Digital Art/Games Portfolio / Symoné’s IG / Productions & Projects by Symoné IG