Wandsworth Council is preparing a pilot project for the use of virtual reality in encouraging residents to enjoy the performing arts.
It is working with VR headset maker Pico, streaming service Livr and the Rose Community Centre in Battersea to enable audiences to view a series of performances through the technology beginning in the autumn.
Visitors to the VR theatre at the centre will get access to content from the Livr library, which currently includes over 40 plays and theatrical performances. They will be able to watch as if in a front row seat and obtain a 360° view.
Councillor Steffi Sutters, Wandsworth Council’s cabinet member for community services and open spaces, said: "As arts and culture grows in Nine Elms, it's fantastic that we can bring performing arts into the heart of the community and I hope as many Nine Elms residents as possible sign up to put a headset on and watch a performance.
“We’re really looking forward to starting regular VR viewing nights, which, alongside our new Community Theatre Tickets scheme in partnership with Battersea Arts Centre and Theatre 503, will offer residents plenty of affordable ways to enjoy live theatre this autumn.”
The move is part of Wandsworth’s wider cultural strategy for the Nine Elms area, which is going through a major regeneration, and follows a trial the recent Happy Streets festival.
Image from Livr
