Immersive Arcade: The Showcase - Volume Three

Immersive Arcade: The Showcase is the first national collection of the best of British virtual reality (VR) and 360 experiences.

This dynamic collection draws together eclectic productions from across documentary, experiential and narrative genres, themed around an exploration of the human mind.

Volume Three - Spaceworlds The showcase will feature the following experiences:

Home: A VR Spacewalk

BBC and REWIND

Inspired by the NASA training programs used by British astronaut Tim Peake, Home – A VR Spacewalk enables would-be astronauts to embark on a spacewalk 250 miles above the Earth’s surface, something only a few people have ever done for real. They are tasked with making a repair on the outside of the International Space Station, before being confronted with a heart stopping emergency situation. Home’s ambition as a piece of VR was to combine a strong narrative and sense of drama with the incredible impact possible in an immersive experience to encourage and enhance the public’s interest in space.

Nothing To Be Written

59 Productions and BBC

During the First World War, millions of multiple-choice postcards were sent home by soldiers from the trenches. Nothing except a signature was allowed to be written on the card – communication could only take place through prescribed phrases. Part artwork, part documentary, Nothing to be Written tells the stories of these ‘Field Postcards’ and is inspired by the circumstances under which they were written and received. Nothing to be Written is a BBC virtual reality experience by 59 Productions, with an original score by composer Anna Meredith, commissioned by the BBC VR Hub.

Flood

Metaverse, Stare at the Wall, National Youth Theatre

Flood is a groundbreaking 45-minute location-based XR drama for up to 8 audience members. It’s a dark, foreboding, cinematic experience, set during and after an apocalyptic climate event, which confronts audiences with a bold and visceral vision of what happens when land turns to water. Audiences are dropped into a beautifully bleak virtual world where they have to work together with the cast to find dry land. Engaging with themes of displacement and exclusionary politics, Flood aims to bring to life the effects of our negligent decisions, the unequal impacts of climate change, and its influence on generations to come.

Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier

Tate and Preloaded

Modigliani VR: The Ochre Atelier reimagines Modigliani's final Parisian studio, where he lived and worked in the final months of his life in 1919 and 1920. A previously undocumented space, the artist's studio has been brought back to life in VR through more than 60 objects and artworks.

Drawing upon extensive archival materials and new research, the experience provides a unique glimpse into the conditions, work and life of one of the most celebrated artists of the early-twentieth century.

The VR experience was the first of its kind to be installed at Tate Modern as part of a blockbuster exhibition.

-- Head over to the Immersive Arcade website to learn more.