Doors for this event open at 7pm. The events begins at 8pm. There will be a short interval. The event is expected to finish by 10pm at the latest. A wide range of refreshment are available throughout the evening from the cafe. Card and cash payment are accepted at the venue. Please note any unclaimed reserved seating will be released at 8.30pm.
This evening we present an experimental AI reconstruction of A Portal to the Symbiocene, multimedia retelling of Matthew Watkins's "descent into the AI underworld" in 2023, as documented in his latest book SolidGoldMagikarp (W&N/Orion).
Based on a profoundly uncanny and unexpectedly impactful play performed at Smugglers Festival 2025: AI glitches, an emergent demonic presence and a cybernetic Mother Goddess.
This evening author Matthew Watkins will present a film screening of an experimental AI reconstruction of the piece based on surviving footage. This will involve brief introductory talk and post-screening reflection followed by Q&A.
Further information:
Disabled access into the building
The floor may be uneven in place, parts of the church date back to 1100
Everything is on one level