It’s an 8km swim from Güzelçamli, Turkey to the Greek Island of Samos. That’s 160 lengths of an Olympic sized swimming pool.

Swim is a meditative audio experience that imagines the effects of migration on the self. The project guides the audience through to the finish of that treacherous swim: 8km, from Güzelçamlı to Samos, the length to cross into asylum. Loosely inspired by the ancient epic poem, Laila & Majnun, Swim imagines the physical, mental, and spiritual tolls of displacement.

Upcoming Production

Swim will have its world premiere in January 30-February 2, 2025 in Vancouver, BC! It will be in co-production with Theatre Conspiracy and presented by PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Touchstone Theatre, and The Cultch.

Creative Team

Created by Jivesh Parasram, Tom Arthur Davis, David Mesiha, & Gavan Cheema

Written by Jivesh Parasram & Tom Arthur Davis

Directed by David Mesiha & Gavan Cheema

Music & Sound Design by David Mesiha

Accessibility Consultant: Amy Amantea

Performer: Jivesh Parasram

SummerWorks Workshop Performers: Tsholo Khalema, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, & Sally Zori

Special thanks to Tim Carlson for original script dramaturgy

Production History

January 2025 • PuSh International Performing Arts Festival • Vancouver, BC

August 2021 • SummerWorks Performance Festival • Toronto, ON

Supporters

This project has been made possible through the generous support of PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, SummerWorks Performance Festival, Why Not Theatre, Theatre Conspiracy, The Cultch, Touchstone Theatre, Crow’s Theatre, Volcano Theatre, Suitcase in Point, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the British Columbia Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, The City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, and the Hamber Foundation.