DARREN O'DONNELL

This man is rich in thought and generous of spirit; he also embodies a certain Dionysian ease that inspires excitement in his many projects. A writer, director, performer, designer, and the artistic director of  Mammalian Diving Reflex (ideal entertainment for the end of the world), he's also doing his Masters in urban planning.

We intercepted Darren while prepping for Dare Night : Lock Down at the Gladstone hotel. This event is a terrifying sleepover hosted by The Torontonians (a group of Parkdale-based teens) in collaboration with Mammalian Diving Reflex. Along with whoever dared to show up, The Torontonians challenged each other to do unmentionable deeds (cat food was involved), attempted Astral  Projection (hopefully not into Rob Ford's shower... this must be an inside joke), and ate "pus pizza."  

Dare Night, like other projects O'Donnell and his colleagues have initiated (Haircuts by Children, Nightwalks with Teenagers), seeks to turn preconceived notions on their heads. In a playful way he's challenging adult perceptions such as the ideas that teenagers are both frightening and vulnerable, and that children are useless members of society, unable to make competent decisions. Through these performances, O'Donnell empowers youth and teaches them skills for the future. He puts into action theories around social and economic improvement that are at times impenetrable when explained theoretically but come alive through these engaging experiments.  We're excited to see where the future will take such a vibrant personality (Mayor?) as he moves towards consulting other communities about working with and supporting youth culture.