We’ve been working on an Arts Council of Wales R+D project titled “Nature’s Wonderland,” a participatory virtual reality project delving into the parallels between human cohesion and natural ecosystems.
In conjunction with Japanese artist Mari Wirth, young learners from ACE Cardiff have created their own imaginative “creatures,” ready for incorporation into a new fantastical virtual realm. Along the way they have acquired knowledge and experience in 3D modeling.
We’ve also ventured into the great outdoors and gathered and modeled natural elements such as trees, mushrooms, and flowers, that will be added into “Nauture’s Wonderland”.
We are now embarking on collaboration with a developer to conceptualize a VR environment and investigate how the digital assets we’ve collected can be integrated into this space.
We will conduct user testing on the prototype with ACE Cardiff and other groups of young individuals of varying abilities. This includes young women’s groups at YMCA and children categorised as having Additional Learning Needs.
This project receives funding from the Arts Council of Wales and is supported by the Millennium Centre’s Bocs and ACE Cardiff. Bocs is Wales first dedicated venue for immersive experiences and extended reality (XR). – ends