About Children of Metropolis
Children of Metropolis is Scrap Arts Music’s groundbreaking live performance that fuses original film, percussion, movement, and one-of-a-kind instruments built entirely from salvaged materials.
Set in a retro-futuristic world, the production follows Grigor, a resourceful protagonist who faces underground snakes, experiments with an “embiggener” gun, and joins forces with playful “sea flunkies” to rebuild his world. Told entirely without words, the story comes to life through dynamic music, inventive choreography, and striking visual design.
Blending sustainability, creativity, and high-energy performance, Children of Metropolis captivates audiences of all ages—celebrating the resilience of human spirit and the power of imagination.
We are deeply grateful for the multi-year creation support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Creative BC, Small Business BC, Music BC, and FACTOR Canada. Special thanks also to Nanaimo’s Port Theatre for hosting a 10-day technical residency that helped bring this work to the stage.
We’ve been making music together since 1998, and hit the international touring circuit in 2001—an adventure that changed our lives forever. Along the way, we’ve received glowing reviews (check them out [here]) and experienced unforgettable milestones, including performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics: from the very first Medals Ceremony to the Closing Ceremonies themselves.
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“Humour, wit and genuine subtlety. The result? Pure Magic… An accomplished and hugely engaging company.”
— Graham Williams, EVENING POST (UK)
Quick Update
After relocating to Vancouver Island in 2014, Scrap Arts Music began integrating film and video projection into its percussion-based work, developing a powerful new way to tell original stories.
Children of Metropolis is a fast-paced, all-acoustic production featuring invented instruments, original compositions, and athletic choreography. Inspired by Fritz Lang’s iconic 1927 film, the production reimagines a retro-futuristic cityscape built entirely from sculptural instruments crafted from salvaged materials.
Following early tours in select markets, the work was completed during the pandemic with a full-length film and an album (supported by FACTOR). The live production officially premiered in New Mexico in 2024.
Performed by five musicians with striking physicality and percussive drive, Children of Metropolis delivers intricate, playful, and powerful works that captivate audiences of all ages—combining sustainability, artistry, and spectacle in a one-of-a-kind touring production.