Immersive Mixed Reality for Social Impact

The World as a Stage

Imagine a world where immersive experiences enhance our understanding of social issues, foster empathy, and encourage real-world change.

This metaphor views experience design and performance as a process and practice that blurs the lines between life and digitally mediated experience. Borrowing concepts, roles, and methods from theatre and performing arts strengthens the use of storytelling, emphasises the audience's participatory and (inter)active role, and highlights the importance of physical space in developing these new experiences.

Experience the World as a Stage

"Jin's Dream" and "Sancho's Journey" are two MR experiences that fuse smart AR glasses and live theatre and take place in two heritage site (UK and US) for small groups of visitors. We named these MR Heritage Performances (MRHP). These MRHPs were designed and developed explored the frontiers of using MR technology and live theatre as a novel way to engage audiences in a theatrical story-driven participatory experience under specific concepts, in this instance, ones that challenge colonial narratives.

About the Team

Mariza Dima, PhD

Mariza is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Games Design with a focus on Creative Technology for Games at Brunel University of London. She has an interdisciplinary background in applied mathematics, Human-Computer Interaction, and media and games studies. Her work explores, by design, how to create meaningful, engaging, seamless experiences with Immersive Reality technologies in different contexts such as performance, cultural heritage and health with social justice as a drive.

Damon Daylamani-Zad, PhD

Damon is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Creative Computing (Games and AI) at Brunel University of London. His work is focused on the use of Immersive technologies (AR/VR/MR) and applications of AI to address real-world problems and challenges including cultural heritage, serious games, decision making and collaborative environments.

Vangelis Lympouridis, PhD

Vangelis is the founder of Enosis, a specialized R&D and innovation company in Los Angeles. As faculty at USC the Viterbi School of Engineering and the School of Cinematic Arts he taught AR/VR and Mixed Reality to 450+ students and pioneered XR research and productions exhibited worldwide in prestigious venues such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, the V&A in London, and the Tribeca and Sundance film festivals and conferences such as IEEEVR, SIGCHI and SIGGRAPH.