(exp)lore

There are Things that lurk in the shadows of the western mountains. This is a retelling of an ancient Midwinter tale with a new twist.

Adam had a hard enough time managing his anxiety during the pandemic-mandated lockdowns, but now, in the aftermath of the restrictions, he has found readjusting to be an equally overwhelming task. After a detour leads Adam into a strange encounter with Isaac—an enigmatic, albeit charming drifter—he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew about human existence, the universe, and our place in it.

A Chinese mystic reveals a fairy tale from across the sea and a story closer to home. Follow twins Miss Yin and Master Yang from China through their home in Calgary’s Chinatown.

After the loss of her grandmother, Jen, a third-generation Filipinx woman comes to terms with her culture and her relationship with her mother and grandmother. Through a series of letters and flashbacks, Jen is taken through the immigrant's experience across three generations of Filipinx women.

In the riotous downfall of civilization that progressively took place over the 21st and 22nd centuries, city state blocks are separated into territories and defended by suburban inhabitants. One community's stability is put at risk when Mayson Jane, a revered Guardian, violates protocol to induct her daughter into privileged secrets, to provide the only chance either one may ever have for escape.

In 2027 an Apocalyptic lockdown in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) holds a grade 7 classroom captive during school hours. The students anxiously await their fate, not sure what is going on in the outside world, and Josh, a Blackfoot student, comes to grips with his identity and the true history of the land and the universe. When the trickster comes barreling in unexpectedly, Josh must face a lesson in colonial disorder and his own past.

There is an underground circus beneath the plaza downtown, a circus filled with colour and lights and life. Rachel has been missing for over a week, but when her best friend Vera finds her in this strange subterranean world, everything they know will be questioned. With the spirit of a big top circus and the heart of urban fantasy, Under the Plaza is a magical coming of age story that explores what it means to be lost and what it means to be found.

On a windswept hill hovering over a city, a man stands as the sign of his times, bracing for the storm of the century. As a lone sentry standing vigil, the ground beneath his feet is shaken by a perceptive stranger who holds the key to immortality. A playful and seductive homage to Film Noir, A Dangerous View bridges space and time to name unknown places which can never truly be tamed.

The Folly is a dark and thrilling tale of finding, and losing, oneself. A brilliant mix of suburban gothic and cosmic horror, the story follows Winslow, who's recently moved to a chic inner-city neighbourhood in the big city from her farm town. While walking her neighbours dog, she finds much more than she expected in a seemingly-abandoned ruin site.

(exp)lore is a fiction anthology podcast to be enjoyed in the community while social distancing. These site-specific stories take an imaginative dive into the past and future of Calgary’s inner city. Each episode immerses the audience in a rich audio play while they explore the world through a new lens.