This project was created in response to the following statistic: if infection rates don’t change by 2020, 1 out of every 2 black men who have sex with men in America will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. Our client, ViiV, approached us with a brief to create an “experience” that would bring attention not just to this statistic but to the stories of the men behind it and dispel many commonly held misperceptions about what drove these numbers. The objective was to engage the community, the men, and to create measurable change -- particularly by reducing stigma which was shown to have a significant impact on infection rates.

The core idea behind AMAIC was to use the psychology of spacial and immersive design to change perception and behavior around a public health issue -- HIV/AIDS infection. In addition we wanted the process to have as powerful an impact as the result. In order to do this, the experience was created in collaboration with the community after gathering the stories of over 200 men. The cast of the show is almost exclusively made up of men from the community, many of which were first time performers who were trained in the show. The set of the experience was intentionally designed to use the placement of the audience (looking through holes in the wall, seated on the floor, seated in the scene) to blur the line between reality and fantasy and change the audience perception of the story. It was also a modular design to enable quick/efficient travel between cities.

The goal was to use the experience as a community organizing and engagement tool both through who attended the performances as well as other events organized in partnership with the experience. Some nights the experience was completely filled by a specific group that was a key stakeholder for ViiV and the issue. These groups ranged from AMFAR to black men’s groups like Mobi to historical black churches to doctor/medical professional associations. After every performance we held talk backs with the audience which gave them an opportunity to reflect on their experience and connect with other audience members. On any given night our audiences were typically a cross section of parents/friends, medical professionals, pastors, gay black influencers and men living with HIV/AIDS. There were also radio show interviews, community conversations and social nights to compliment the run.

The experience debuted in Baltimore in the winter of 2016. For the next two years, it toured as a regional production visiting cities such as Jackson, San Diego, Orlando and Raleigh. In the spring of 2018 the experience premiered in New York City to three weeks of sold out performances. These performances were attended by top-tier media and the show received coverage in a wide range of publications such as NYTimes, Vibe, Billboard as well as rave reviews in theater publications such as Yes Broadway and the Advocate. The experience is currently being re-cast for a limited run at Joe’s Pub, at the Public theater, one of NYC’s top theater venues for the fall of 2019.

The impact of AMAIC has been profound not only on audiences but also on the community and the hundreds of men who have been a part of the production. The experience was evaluated in partnership with John’s Hopkins and show to change perception and behavior. Several scientific papers are currently being authored on it as one of the first demonstrations of the use of immersive experience as an effective public health intervention. It also received the Excellence in Patient Engagement award at the World Healthcare Congress. It scored 98% on audience engagement post surveys. ViiV has received incredibly positive coverage in top-tier and industry press. They also formed a network of new partnerships with organizations and influencers critical to the brand. It’s also critical to note the profound impact AMAIC had on the men who participated in it ranging from self-esteem building to college attendance to resume building.