The Crossing:
The Ferryman Apprenticeship Program
What is the Apprenticeship Program?
Ferryman Collective's VR Theatre Apprenticeship Program Every new medium needs artists willing to cross into the unknown. The Crossing is Ferryman Collective's new annual apprenticeship program created to support theatre artists who want to explore what becomes possible when live performance moves into virtual reality. Drawing on our years of creating and producing live VR theatre, The Crossing gives an emerging artist the opportunity to work directly alongside Ferryman Collective artists and mentors. Through hands-on learning, experimentation, writing, development, rehearsal, and production, the apprentice learns the unique language of live performance in VR while developing an original work of their own. The goal is not simply to teach someone how VR theatre works. We want to help artists discover what they can do with it. Apprentices will learn Ferryman's approach to live VR performance while developing, experimenting with, and ultimately bringing a new theatrical work to life. This is why we created The Crossing: to open the doors of VR theatre to new artistic voices and give creators the mentorship, tools, space, and practical experience needed to begin making work in this emerging medium. Crossing Into What's Next The Crossing will become an annual Ferryman Collective program, welcoming a new artist or creator into the process each year. Applications for our next apprenticeship will open in January. Interested in making the crossing? Join the Ferryman Collective newsletter or follow us on social media to be the first to hear when applications open.
Current Apprentice
Our Inaugural Apprentice is Tanvi Agarwal, who is working with Ferryman Collective to develop an original VR theatre production, Strange Ways: The Only Way Out Is Through. This production was inspired by the world Strangeways created by ShtickXR .
Strangeways: The Only Way Out Is Through is an intimate, audience-driven journey through the subconscious of Echo, a neurodivergent artist who has retreated into the surreal virtual world of Strangeways. Unable to reach Echo alone, their closest friend, Zephyr, recruits the audience to venture into this symbolic landscape, where every environment represents a memory, defense mechanism, fear, or coping strategy—in the hope that a fresh perspective can succeed where familiar reassurance cannot.
Tanvi Agrawal (they/them) is an immersive storyteller with a background in both theatre and XR. They spent ten years acting before transitioning into directing, studying the craft throughout high school and college while directing scenes, one-acts, and full-length productions including 1984, Universal Language, and Waiting for Godot. Most recently, they have directed new works monthly for the national playwriting incubator PlayGround.
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