Groundbreaking Immersive Artwork ‘Night Bloom’ Transforms Market Hall’s 360 Dome Cinema
This October, Market Hall in Devonport will host the South West premiere of Night Bloom — a spectacular 360° immersive experience combining sign language performance, vibrant animation, hand-drawn art, dance, and an original soundscape. Book tickets: https://real-immersive.realideas.org/whats-on/night-bloom-1656329800019/
Created by Spectroscope, an international collective of deaf and disabled artists founded by acclaimed director Cathy Mager, Night Bloom tells the story of a mystical garden brought to life by the hands of its deaf community. Through stunning visuals and movement, the piece explores resilience, unity, and the transformative power of collective action in the face of adversity.
Performed by Alice Hu, An Di, and Wang Xianhe, the narrative unfolds entirely through the interplay of sign language and dance. As flowers blossom from the performers’ fingertips, birds swoop overhead, and mycelium spreads beneath their feet, audiences are immersed in a thriving, biodiverse world. But when a devastating storm strikes, the garden is torn apart. The performers must find one another again, planting the seeds of a new, shared future.
Audiences and critics have already been captivated:
“Bold, beautiful, and boundary breaking”
British Council
“…the dancers’ hands tell a story of exclusion, resilience, and renewal — all without a single spoken word”
Six Tone
“Energy moves from the natural world, up through the dancers’ bodies and out along their arms. Hands flutter silently, like the butterflies and the birds which fill the projected vision”
Disability Arts Online
The dome’s enveloping 15-metre screen surrounds audiences with original hand-drawn illustrations inspired by nineteenth-century botanical and wildlife archives, created by Shanghai artist Lifeng He, with UK-based Ben Glover (graphics) and Ngaio Anyia (soundscape) contributing to the piece’s mesmerising sensory landscape.
Inspired by the resilience of Shanghai’s deaf community — who, after displacement through urban redevelopment, have met in Luxun Park for over 50 years — Night Bloom reflects on the role of marginalised voices in tackling global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Night Bloom is a celebration of deafhood, of survival, and of nature’s capacity to regrow,” says Mager. “The Market Hall dome offers audiences an unparalleled way to step inside this world, to feel part of its community and its rebirth.”
The piece features choreography by Alice Hu, original illustrations by Shanghai artist Lifeng He, video design by Ben Glover, music by Ngaio Anyia, and archival botanical and wildlife drawings from international collections. Originally commissioned by Unlimited with funding from the British Council, Night Bloom premiered at Science Gallery London in 2024 and has been specially adapted for Market Hall’s dome.
Event Details
When: 2 October – 15 November 2025
Length: 20 minutes
Where: Market Hall Immersive Dome, Devonport, Plymouth
Tickets: Click the link below
Trailer: See Below
BSL Intro: See Below
Trailer:
BSL Intro
Credits: Artistic Direction: Cathy Mager | Choreography/Performance: Alice Hu, An Di, Xianhe Wang | Video Design/Editing: Ben Glover | Filming: Bob Wang, Sam Zheng, Jack Chi | Illustration: Lifeng He | Music: Ngaio Anyia (Mixing: James Ongley) | Production: Cat Roberts | Sign Language Interpreters: Blade Tang, Freya McLuckie, Jayme Lawman