Staging Difficult Histories through Immersive Technologies invites experts in the field to showcase their research on new, immersive technologies, and identify specific concerns relating to the ethics of engagement with difficult subject matter and human experience such as persecution, discrimination, racism, and violence.
This workshop seeks to provide a platform where we can think together about what else, and what more can be done with immersive technologies to not only create an empathetic bond between the viewer and the viewed, but also to encourage viewers to think critically about what they are experiencing, what is missing and what is shown in the virtual reality experience, as well as about the context in which the experience is situated.
At the workshop the organisers will present their concept for a virtual experience hoping that the exchange will enable them to contextualize this project more broadly within the emerging critical discourse around the use and impact of virtual reality in the context of museums and other educational settings.
No booking required – Click here to join the event on the day via Teams
Workshop Programme
14:00 – 14:15 Introduction: Dr Diana Popescu, Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, University of London and Dr Silke Arnold-de Simine, Birkbeck, University of London
14:15 – 14:45 Professor Mandy Rose, University of West England Bristol
14:45 – 15.15 Professor Luigina Ciolfi, University College Cork
15.15 – 15.45 Dr Bryce Lease and Dr Cecilia Sosa, Royal Holloway, University of London
15.45 – 16.00 Break
16:00 – 16:30 Matt Adams, Blast Theory
16:30 – 17:00 Professor Adam Ganz, StoryFutures Academy
17:00 – 17:15 Concept for a Virtual Experience – presentation of VR project: Dr Diana Popescu and Dr Silke Arnold-de Simine
17:15 – 17:30 Q&A and Conclusions
Workshop curated by Dr Silke Arnold-de Simine, Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies, Birkbeck and Dr Diana Popescu, Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, University of London.
This workshop is the third in the series ‘Contested Histories, Challenging Memories: Immersive Encounters with the Past’ organised by the Birkbeck Interdisciplinary Research in Media and Culture and Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. The previous workshops have explored ‘Curating Sound for Difficult Histories’ and ‘Performativity of Images in the Public Space’.