Plus One is a creative partnership project delivered by Derby Theatre with QUAD, Déda, Baby People and The Mighty Creatives that provides free opportunities to take part in cultural events and a range of creative workshops and projects.
Odyssey is a virtual reality live audio experience for audiences which was created over a 4-month period working with young people across the city of Derby, specifically with care-experienced young people and families.
A needs analysis gauging the interests of young people across the care sector showed that while they didn’t see themselves as participating in arts, video games were popular, particularly in residential care. Odyssey was Derby Theatre’s imaginative response to that research. Producer, Tom Craig and digital curator, John Whall ran virtual-reality workshops to investigate the idea of offering an immersive state of play that would encourage young people to create without committing to the idea of ‘art’. There were initially no rules: just turn up and try on a headset. They were then invited to design their own bedroom. How would it look and what if there were no limitations? Playwright, Simon Marshall and spoken-word poet, Ndukwe Onuoha joined the team and together they created an immersive digital VR performance experience. As the young people curated their worlds, stories emerged. Leicester organisation MBD created the virtual experience, and to make it as immersive as possible, University of Derby audio engineering students designed an ambisonic rig to spread the sound for a more realistic experience. Musical composition, songs and sound were added via the company, participants and a composer. At the Roundhouse at Derby College, audiences experienced the piece performed live by the young people with the audience immersed in the virtual world of their ideas. Stepping through a series of rooms, audiences saw ‘home’ and the reality of transient lives but also looked towards hope for the future, with the final space, a large open stage that looked out, not into an audience but an endless sea and a bright horizon.
Tom Craig (Community and Learning Producer, Derby Theatre and Producer of Odyssey) said:
“We feel honoured to have been awarded with Digital Project of the Year for Odyssey as part of these prestigious awards. This award symbolises how incredible Derby city is at working in collaboration to give opportunities to under-represented voices, not only to be heard, but amplified through professional, innovative performance. Thank you to all the Plus One young people and families whose invaluable work and creative input resulted in us winning this award. I am immensely proud of this project and everyone involved.”
The Stage said:
“Of all the digital projects that emerged last year, the judges believed Derby Theatre’s Odyssey stood out for the way it used an immersive digital VR experience to make the arts more accessible to a previously under-served group of participants across the care sector”
View the Odyssey film below:
