Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian \\ Jazmin Morris

Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian is an interactive three-level game inspired by real locations in Barnsley, gradually transforming from sparse and inert landscapes into vibrant worlds.

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Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian is an interactive three-level game inspired by real locations in Barnsley, drawing connections between digital play, social infrastructure, and the realities of working-class towns across the UK. Inspired by the artist’s lived experience of growing up and practising in North England, the work unfolds across three distinct sites, each shaped around an archetypal gameplay figure: The Creator, The Healer, and The Joker.

As participants navigate these environments, familiar spaces are transformed into speculative social worlds where systems of care, education, and collective gathering are reimagined into alternate possibilities: an abandoned building becomes a herbal garden focused on healing; a vandalised bus shelter is transformed into a community library for collective knowledge; and a disused natural environment evolves into a space for uninhibited joy.

Using 3D scans of local areas, photographs, and low-poly digitally rendered environments and assets, the work blurs real-world references with fantasy worlding, constructing immersive spaces that reframe existing infrastructures as sites of potential rather than limitation. Across a modular gameplay installation, participants collectively activate these evolving landscapes, positioning digitally rendered environments as a tool for rehearsing alternative forms of social life and shared possibility.

Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian by Jazmin Morris is commissioned and produced by Abandon Normal Devices (AND) for AND Festival 2026 with development and touring support from Right Up Our Street. Supported using public funding through the National Lottery by Arts Council England, with further support from Barnsley Council.

What to expect

Entrance to Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian is free but booking is encouraged to guarantee entry at your preferred time. You can join us at any time during your hour slot.  In the event that you turn up without a ticket there may be a small number of walk up spots available or there will be a chance to book a later timeslot.

Northern Passage is a single player game inside a built environment that can accommodate three people playing at any one time. It will be situated on the ground floor of Barnsley Market (a busy indoor market and food hall) and will be visible to the public on entry to the building. There is also a balcony above the space where people can watch from.

Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian is a new commission and therefore currently in development. We aim to have additional access information available here from mid August. Additional access information on the venue can be found on our Access Information page.