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 and Doncaster, 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 and Doncaster, 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.
Access Provisions:
- At the beginning of game play in Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian there is an on-boarding narration to explain the game. This is captioned.
- The game play for Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian is single-player. There will be over-ear headphones for players to listen to the audio.
- There will be seating for those playing Northern Passage: A Quest To Hopian, and for people waiting to play.
There are relaxed time slots for Northern Passage: A Quest to Hopian running at 3pm and 3:30pm each day.
- These 30 minute slots are bookable for groups to use on their own, meaning no one outside your group will be in the game space during your slot.
- Each slot is long enough for you to try out all the games or spend the whole time on one game, it’s up to you. Please note the market may still be busy during your slot.
- A group can be a minimum of 1 person and maximum of 8 people.
To book your relaxed time slot for Northern Passage, please go to our dedicated page.