Immersive digital experiences will soon have a new home in Wales’ national arts centre, as Wales Millennium Centre launches a full season of extended reality arts in a purpose-built space.
The first space of its kind in a Welsh arts centre, BOCS (Welsh for ‘box’) will present a programme of 360° films and projections as well as extended reality (XR) experiences – including augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality (VR).
Bocs opens on 27th August with the return of RIPPLES OF KINDNESS, a Wales Millennium Centre and All Seeing Eye Production which has received international recognition. Designed to accompany the stage play THE BOY WITH TWO HEARTS, the communal VR experience tells the story of the Amiri family who fled from Afghanistan to Cardiff.
We saw Ripples during its last visit and can highly recommend you go along to see it.
The inaugural Bocs Autumn season will also include the award-winning GOLIATH: Playing with Reality, exploring schizophrenia, gaming and connection, and narrated by actress Tilda Swinton; LGBTQ+ VR Museum, the world’s first virtual reality museum dedicated to preserving queer personal histories; and A Signal Across Space, the first ever bilingual Welsh/English 360° virtual reality experience that follows the story of the first ever wireless signals sent over open water in South Wales.
Through mind-bending animation, GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY explores the limits of reality in this true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’ and the power of gaming communities. Echo (Tilda Swinton) guides you through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games. Combining heart-felt dialogue, mesmerising visuals and symbolic interactions, weave through multiple worlds to uncover Goliath’s poignant story.
Goliath is a great addition to the BOCS programme, it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Immersive Work at 78th Venice International Film Festival last September.
The LGBTQ+ community globally contributed dozens of personal items scanned into 3D and 2D artworks, that contextualise their lived experiences.
Layers of interactive content appear and programmatically respond to visitors’ emotions in real-time as they explore the VR museum.
The LGBTQ+ VR MUSEUM is another award winning piece, recently collecting the New Voices Award at this years Tribeca Festival.
Alongside the programme, a series of talks and workshops will be hosted in a new XR studio, providing opportunities for artists, educators and young creators to gain hands-on experience and explore ways to make an impact through immersive media.
David Massey, Senior Producer (Digital Experiences) at Wales Millennium Centre told us……
“Immersive experiences are a great way to bring audiences together, challenge ideas and transport you to new worlds.
“Bocs will showcase and celebrate the best of immersive storytelling in Wales and across the world, intersecting technology, visual art, theatre and music.
“We hope Bocs will inspire new audiences and intrigue the next generation of story makers, introducing more people to the immense possibilities of this exciting medium.”
BOCS opens on Saturday 27th August with Ripples of Kindness. For more details and to get booked in for this FREE experience, go HERE.