Mind of a Snail is a shadow theatre duo currently based in Vancouver B.C. Canada, on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓wətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Mind of a Snail is an ongoing collaboration between two artists: Chloe Ziner & Jessica Gabriel. They first met in 2003 and since then, they have been developing a unique style of mostly wordless visual storytelling that combines puppetry, projections (often using old-school overhead projectors), clown/physical theatre, and original music.
They have toured original performances and taught workshops across Canada, USA, Taiwan, Brazil and South Korea.
Toronto’s Now Magazine has called their work “nothing short of magical” and Winnipeg Free Press said “the ingenuity and artistry on display is breathtaking”.
As artistic collaborators, they love exploring beyond the boundaries of traditional theatre, and creating magical immersive experiences for their audiences. Mind of a Snail’s shadow theatre is like an early animation created live before your eyes.
They have created original work for Vancouver Art Gallery, Telus World of Science, Persephone Theatre, and more. They have performed in theatre & arts festivals such as Wildside Festival in Montreal, Summerworks in Toronto, Casteliers International Puppetry Festival in Montreal, Festival International des Arts de la Marionnette à Saguenay and more.
International highlights include a tour of Taiwan in 2017, performing on the main stage of the Puppeteers of America Festival in Minneapolis in 2019 with their show “Caws & Effect”, and most recently facilitating an intercultural workshop residency with students at Seoul Institute of the Arts in South Korea.
During covid, they quickly pivoted to an interactive online format and have performed live virtually for a number of festivals across Canada & internationally, including Festival Internacional de Teatro de Sombras in Brazil and Red Pearl Clown Festival in Finland.
Their show “Multiple Organism” won Critic’s Choice Innovation Award at the 2018 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. They were nominated for Outstanding Projection Design for Persephone Theatre’s production of “Matchstick” at the 2015 SATAwards in Saskatoon. They gave puppetry direction and dramaturgy for So.Glad Arts “Something in the Water ” that won Best Theatre Award at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe.
Their shows “Multiple Organism”, “Curious Contagious”, “Caws & Effect” & “Against Gravity” have won dozens of awards at Fringe Theatre festivals across Canada and the USA.
Recent projects include: facilitating a weekly puppetry workshop for members of the disability community with Theatre Terrific; and projection design for Rodney Decroo’s “In the Belly of the Carp” that premiered at the Shadbolt Centre in Nov 2024. Their newest show “The Beanstalk Market Crash” a “fairytale satire meets David Lynch” will be touring throughout 2026.
