Immersive Wellness: A Fusion of Entertainment and Social Wellbeing


Details
We're excited for the meetup on Tuesday, January 30th and looking forward to seeing everyone.
Please note that we have a slight change. Based on the interest in the subject we're going to do two meetups dedicated to immersive wellness. Unfortunately, Jasmin Jodry can not join us on Jan 30th. Jasmin and Sara Auster's session will follow at a later date. See details below.
IMMERSIVE WELLNESS Part 1
Tuesday, January 30th
6:30pm to 9:30pm
The focus of this session will be on the power of immersive stories to heal. Join us for a special performance/presentation of "Where There's Smoke" with Lance Weiler (Columbia DSL) in collaboration with Dr. Deborah Starr (Narrative Medicine Program, Columbia University) and Josh Corn (Creative Technologist, Double Take Studios). Afterward we'll pull back the curtain on the design, production and technology.
"Where There's Smoke" has gone through numerous iterations. A physical install on Canal St. durning the Tribeca Film Festival, a 3,000 sq ft installation this past summer/fall at ArtYard in Frenchtown, NJ and most recently a live performance at the Portland Art Museum. The project will tour throughout 2024 and 2025.
ABOUT WHERE THERE'S SMOKE
All families have secrets. Skeletons hidden in closets. Things left unsaid.
In Where There’s Smoke, project creator Lance Weiler unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father — a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer — and two devastating fires that struck the Weiler family in the early 1980s. In the final months of his battle with colon cancer, his father invites Lance to interview him, and these conversations reignite 30 years of wondering… were those fires more than tragic accidents?
Prepared to come face-to-face with mysteries of the past, Lance sits down with his father and finds himself simultaneously confronting tragedies of the present. As his father’s choices fade with his body, Lance and his family experience a profound lack of empathy in his care, and this sparks a new question: “What if this story can do more?” Out of a heartbreaking journey for answers and healing rises Where There’s Smoke.
IMMERSIVE WELLNESS Part 2
Date to TBD
6:30pm to 9:30pm
Are you ready to embrace wellness in a new light? Imagine a blend of entertainment, self-nourishment, learning, and deep relaxation seamlessly woven into one immersive tapestry. The time has come for immersive wellness oasis, permanent or nomadic that blend entertainment with social wellness. These transformative encounters could span an array of disciplines - from light and sound therapies to the richness of cacao ceremonies, breath work, yoga, meditation, explorations with psychedelics, and creative retreats. Please join us for an evening of wellness immersion with a panel of practitioners in this field who will inspire our following workshop to design a transformative catalyst experience for positive behavior change.
This meetup will be co-hosted by Jasmin Jodry, Immersive Creative Director, and Lance Weiler, founding director of the Columbia DSL. Additional guests will be announced soon.

Immersive Wellness: A Fusion of Entertainment and Social Wellbeing