Mixed Reality in Culture

In this episode I talk with Dr Holly Maples, a freelance theatre director, actor and cultural studies scholar, who has been creating immersive heritage performances in heritage sites across the UK. We talk about the parallels between immersive heritage performance and AR design as well as how the two can work together, a transdiscplinary work in the making that the two of us embarked on at the beginning of this year. Holly's current project is the UK tour of the ACE funded Breaking the Silence on the Slave Trade celebrating 18th century Black British abolitionists. The performance will tour in October 2021 to historic churches throughout the UK with close relationships to the slave trade.

In this episode Danielle Handley, a public historian, talks to me about pros and cons of using immersive technologies as an educational medium, audiovisuals versus long texts, the role and use of the archives when developing a Mixed Reality experience, and how immersive technologies could help curators connect the public in depth with the history(ies) of a place.

You can find Danielle and see her work at https://www.daniellehandley.com/

In this episode, Geoff Taylor talks about the VR Blacksmithing project at the Chain Bridge Forge, how he has been employing immersive technologies to expanding the audiences of the Forge, lessons learned and future steps. Chain Bridge Forge is a living museum which tells the story of Blacksmithing and the Local Community. https://www.heritagesouthholland.co.uk/about-chain-bridge-forge/

In this episode I talk with James Simpson, Digital Fellow at RSC and Magic Leap, Head of Development for Rose Bruford College, and CEO of Coppercandle, a creative technology company specialising in immersive technologies for theatre, performance and live events. 

James discusses research on immersive technologies in Theatre and Performance, and how these change the landscape of making theatre, as well as the challenging process of user on-boarding. Although not directly related to heritage, a lot of parallels can be drawn from James's work with similar work in heritage that we touch upon in this episode.

Music by ASHUTOSH-MUSIC from Pixabay

In this episode Dr Dominique Bouchard, Head of Interpretation at English Heritage, talks about challenges and opportunities of using digital interactive technologies for interpretation at historic sites, and the effect that the covid-19 pandemic had on taking exhibitions virtual.

Music by ASHUTOSH-MUSIC from Pixabay