Biology/Design, Art/Science, Tech/Society
Grow x Pop-Up Magazine
Read the Recap Here
Pop-Up Magazine takes stories and brings them to the stage, with animated illustration, original score, and performance. Each multi-media element is timed with a live reading, chosen intentionally to emphasize the emotions of a moment and allowing for moments that aren’t rehearsed. The collaboration between Grow and Pop-Up felt like it just made sense. We’ve spent the last 4 years in our magazine trying to change the way stories are told in biology, and Pop-Up has spent the last decade changing the way stories are experienced in every format possible. How could we take some of our most beloved stories in Grow and the important concepts they convey, and create an experience that would compel people to listen and understand?
We chose four stories for the show across a spread of Grow’s print issues: stories on what plants can teach us about equity, the possibilities of lab-grown seafood, how to have empathy towards nature, and recreating the world's holiest scent. We adapted each of the articles into scripts for the stage and commissioned art and music before bringing each of these components together live. The show debuted as the last hour of Ferment in Boston, an annual biology conference with over 800 attendees. For the last story on scent, the audience was asked to open an envelope containing the exact fragrance that the writer spoke about, transporting them back in time with a single whiff.
There are no words to describe what it meant to concept and creative direct this show alongside the brilliant team at Pop-Up Magazine, as well as introduce the program on stage — truly a dream come true.
Creative Direction
Content Production
Project Management
Collaborators
Pop-Up Magazine Productions
Derek Fagerstrom
Chas Edwards
Michelle Fernandez
Douglas McGray
Alyssa Chavez-Upp
Alex Palma
Ginkgo Co-Producer
Quinn Berkman
Grow Editorial
Leon Dische Becker
Alexa Garcia
Nina Garcia
Performers
Nadia Berenstein
Claire L. Evans
Sudeep Agarwala
Alexa Garcia
Illustrators
Franziska Barczyk
Alexandra Bowman
Angelica Alzona
Jenny Mascia
Composer
Alexander Overington
Pop-Up Magazine Productions
Derek Fagerstrom
Chas Edwards
Michelle Fernandez
Douglas McGray
Alyssa Chavez-Upp
Alex Palma
Ginkgo Co-Producer
Quinn Berkman
Grow Editorial
Leon Dische Becker
Alexa Garcia
Nina Garcia
Performers
Nadia Berenstein
Claire L. Evans
Sudeep Agarwala
Alexa Garcia
Illustrators
Franziska Barczyk
Alexandra Bowman
Angelica Alzona
Jenny Mascia
Composer
Alexander Overington