In My Shoes 360 VR was commissioned by Barnardos and the Disabled Childrens’ & Young People’s Project and produced in partnership with Silverink. We believe immersive technologies can enable patients and those who use health services to powerfully convey their lived experiences to elevate their voices, a group that is very often under-represented and unheard, by providing a 360 VR experience for the general public, policy makers and the media as an educational tool. . Critical to this process is the concept and practice of co-design, which has to be integral to ensure authenticity. We worked in partnership with the young people themselves and held a planning workshop where we gave young people the opportunity to wear VR headsets and experience a range of 360" VR applications to fully understand the potential of the medium. We then explored the range of barriers, stereotypes and discrimination that the young people face on a daily basis and asked them to prioritise and come to agreement about which issue/s should be addressed in a 360" VR experience. In My Shoes takes the viewer through a real life cafe scenario, where your point of view, sight and sound is as Jake, a young person experiencing a sensory overload and how the resulting attention exacerbates Jake's triggers. The viewer is then brought face to face with three young people who talk directly to you about their daily lives. In My Shoes is emotionally engaging as there is an equality in the discourse provided through the medium of VR.
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 and the incredible people I am lucky enough to work with.