Mammalian Diving Reflex is a research-art atelier dedicated to investigating the social sphere, always on the lookout for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences, producing one-off events, theatre-based performance, videos, installation, theoretical texts and community happenings.

Past work includes: Haircuts by Children, The Children’s Choice Awards, Slow Dance With Teacher, A Suicide-Site Guide to the City and Old Women Shooting Guns. Mammalian Diving Reflex’s work has been presented around the world in Lahore, New York, Sydney, Birmingham, Portland, Vancouver, Chicago, Greensboro, Los Angeles, Montreal, Victoria, Calgary, Bologna, Terni, Oslo and Trondheim.

Haircuts by Children was called the Best of New York City’s Performa by ArtINFO, Slow Dance with Teacher was called “a tour de force”, by Art Gallery of Ontario’s contemporary curator, David Moos and artistic director, Darren O’Donnell’s book about the company’s work, Social Acupuncture, prompted the Globe and Mail to declare “O’Donnell writes like a sugar-addled genius at 300km/hr.

Artistic Director: Darren O'Donnell

Artistic Producer:  Natalie De Vito

Associate Producer: Eva Verity

Collaborators: Nick Murray, Faisal Anwar, Sarah Milanes, Stephanie Comilang, Beth Kates, Garth Johnson and the students of Parkdale Public School, Toronto.