I have just heard that I have been reappointed Visiting Professor In Immersive Futures with Ulster University in Northern Ireland for another four years. This wonderful news has caused me to pause and reflect on all the immersive stories and experiences that Neon has created over the last four years - something that I think we should all do from time to time - especially as the pace of change in immersive technologies is so fast. While I love to play with this medium, to bring to life important, but often hidden stories - the best part has been and continues to be - meeting so many talented human beings from across the world. Covid took this away from us for so long. The only way I can describe this feeling is “it was as if we were dancing, but there was no music.” People are everything.
So here is a little update on projects we’ve delivered this year. DISCOVER M.E. is our latest VR story that shares insights into the lives of people living with ME/ chronic fatigue syndrome/ long covid. All the voices and experiences are from real people living across Northern Ireland with this condition. At its core it is an educational piece aimed at health professionals and I also hope will help de-stigmatise the illness. As ever everything Neon does is in collaboration, so this work has only happened because of the incredible Joan McParland Fibro4ME; Gavin Kearney Silverink; Enter Yes with funding from NI Screen.
AR PEACE WALL is a story that came about as a twinning project between Belfast and Hiroshima. Both cities have very different approaches to peace building. The leaders in Hiroshima consciously decided to focus on the future and not be burdened by the destruction of the past. In Northern Ireland we built walls to manage our conflicts. The most famous is Cupar Way and this is the location for the AR Peace Wall story. I am really interested to see how we can use digital tools to reimagine contested paces safely. The inspiration for the work came from conversations with Eva Grosman Centre for Democracy and Peace Building. The final work is as a result of many fine people - Josh McAvoy, Eva Robinson, Dónal Rainey, John Desmond from Aura Digital; Frank Lyons and Declan Keeney colleagues from Ulster University; Mary Popeo from Peace Culture Village in Hiroshima; Adam Grimley from Yellow Design with funding from Arts Council NI, Future Screens NI and Department for Communities with special thanks to Matthew Malcolm, Paul Moore and Nuala Toman. Available to download free now on app store iOS and Playstore and remember to use your headphones.
AR STREET ART is an experience created to encourage tourism during the pandemic by offering an "added value" tourist experience, bringing AR to people and to encourage greater numbers of tourists. Once again collaboration was central so this time Neon worked with Italic Pig; Yellow Design; Aura Digital with funding from Future Screens NI. Checkout the trailer here. Available to download free now on iOS and Playstore and you definitely want headphones for this.
Previous work includes AR Talking Sense a tool to help parents of children with autism, better understand their behaviour and provides a real time simulated bedtime scenario. In My Shoes is a 360 VR story created by young people with disabilities, sharing insights into their lived experience commissioned by Barnardos. BreatheVR uses the breath to affect the VR environment and aid relaxation. Whack A Mo an AR distraction game for children in hospital undergoing routine cannula procedures. Finally RETNE a fun VR game where you become a tourist in VR land, guided by Lil Mo who was brought to life by the enigmatic Michael Smiley.
Alongside all the ARVR apps, experiences and stories, are the podcasts, keynote speeches, conference talks, seminar discussions, roundtables, media interviews on - immersive technologies and health; XR and creative practice; ethic; bias; AI; equality, diversity and inclusion in tech. I have loved every single minute of it. And the best bit are these amazing folk Alice Wroe, Cathy Hackl, Laura Mingail, Amanda Murphy, Fiona Kilkelly, Dee Harvey, Lucy Baxter, Luke McNeice, Becky Gregory-Clarke, Angela Chan, Nosa Eke, Baff Akoto, Ulrich Schrauth, Verity Nalley, Julie La'Bassiere, Alec Parkin, Brian Coyle, Alan Hook and everyone who works in this space.
