What 
is 
the 
Urban 
Dream Capsule??








gggg The Urban Dream Capsule is 
a performance installation event that was created 
especially for the store-front windows of a large Melbourne department store for the 
1996 Melbourne International Festival of the Arts. 

The show was conceived, created and directed by Neil Thomas (an artist who has specialised in creating window theatre for over five years), funded by Myer Melbourne, a large Melbourne department store and co-produced by the Melbourne Festival and Performarts .
 
 

The show consisted of five actors living for 16 days in the department stores windows. 

The four windows were transformed for the occasion into a serviceable living and performing space. There was a bedroom with five bunk beds, a lounge room come dining room dance floor, a kitchen/telecommunications centre and the bathroom, complete with sink and shower.

At no point in time were 
the blinds lowered, 
or did the actors leave the windows. 
They ate, slept, bathed and performed under 
non-stop public scrutiny.

An estimated over 250,000 people spent endless hours observing and communicating with the performers.

The performance was wired electronically (telephone, fax and the internet present as an inter-active web site) and received in Melbourne over 700 emails, 500 faxes and non-stop phone calls.

There were countless appearances in national and local press (over 50), national and local television and radio. The opening of the event was televised and featured on the news of every Melbourne television station. The show conducted live radio interviews to BBC London and Radio Johannesburg, and countless local stations during the performance.