The Rings or Homo Sapiens V2: Virtual reality rock opera grown from new forms of international artistic collaboration.

400 years ago artists came together in Italy to create the first performance of new work that brought together music, drama, dance and the visual arts a form that became known as opera.

In the 21st century virtual reality is home to new forms of artistic collaboration in which national and art form boundaries disappear. New forms, as yet unnamed, emerge. And new forms of social connection reach across the globe, addressing the pressing challenges of human survival and the way we become divided from each other. The Rings is a work created in Second Life by a multinational team within the Cybernetic Art Research Project (C.A.R.P). It has been developed through months of collaboration. The creative team is drawn from Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and the UK. The performers are based also in Italy and France. It takes the form of a rock opera with composed lyrics and music, building and scripting, costumes, shape changing, flight, dance and drama underpinned by new use of in world cinematic techniques.

The Rings celebrates the miracle of the Metaverse, the dematerialized virtual time-space. It asks - is this where humanity can at last unite: to overcome the forces that push us towards global destruction and blames victims for the pain they feel. It reminds us that we can be guided towards optimistic action by great humanists and philosophers. It ends on a note of optimism. We are invited to unite and change the world. After alternate performances there will be Rings discussion circles, involving campaign organisations active in Second Life.

Velazquez Bonnetto, CARP co-founder and virtual reality artist said: "It is our responsibility as artists to call the public attention to questions where further thinking and searching for solutions is needed. The message of this artwork comes on several channels and addresses both the emotional and the rational side of the viewer. The Rings ma