An ongoing public art performance project, now in its fifth year, allows strangers to submit claims about why they feel lonely.
Ministry of Loneliness pops up in busy places, mostly in the evenings. It particularly enjoys being outside. Anyone can stop by the table and file a claim about feeling lonely. (about anything)
Very late at night, the Minister shares anonymous bits, from the claims he has received, in chalk writings.
So far, the Minister has visited the streets of New York, Philadelphia, Trenton and Austin, presented at Chashama Gala in NYC, and enjoyed an honor of being an artist-in-residence at Swarthmore College, Villanova University and Bryn Mawr College.
“Having the Minister of Loneliness on Bryn Mawr College’s campus was a fantastic experience for the entire community. Irina made a great effort to explore every corner of campus, which allowed her to set up the Minister’s office in a variety of locations. The Minister’s appearances surprised and delighted students every evening. It is no secret that students have been facing a loneliness epidemic in the aftermath of Covid-19, and the Minister gave our students an opportunity to freely express themselves about that very thing. It was very moving and eye-opening to read their anonymous claims – it greatly affected my understanding of the struggles, hopes, and fears of the students I interact with on campus every day.”
– Meredith Finch, Performing Arts Series Coordinator at Bryn Mawr College
If you like to dive deeper into the Ministry of Loneliness experience, check out the article by The Inquirer – online or pdf paper version. Or download the project’s DECK with more fun stories about the Ministry, bios, technical information, and a full list of prior presenters.
If you like to invite the Minister to your college, conference, museum, or theater festival, please contact Irina (irina.varina@gmail.com), the face behind the man. For film/TV inquiries, please email Maggie Maes (maggie@mkmtalent.com) from Maude Kaplan Mgmt.
