‘Burden of Proof’ places the audience in the centre of Ziad’s story as he seeks asylum.
It is a direct response to the growing global refugee crisis and the recent events surrounding Brexit. The performance aims to develop a mode of representation to challenge dominant and negative representations of refugees and asylum seekers in UK culture.

After a year-long development process and interdisciplinary engagement, ‘Burden of Proof’ premiered at Theatre Delicatessen, London, and the University of Birmingham.
It brought together researchers from sociology, digital technologies and performance to collaborate with cultural partners from the performance industry, creative economy and the public sector to develop a hybrid prototype immersive experience. With the aim to explore how immersive technologies and performance can increase empathy and engage audiences in discussions of refugees and asylum seekers.
Jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to explore Memory, Place and Performance.
