Proposal Title

VR Narratives: A Workshop in VR, about VR

Presenter Information

Jill Walker Rettberg, University of BergenFollow
Maud Ceuterick, University of BergenFollow
Caitlin Fisher, York UniversityFollow
Laryssa Whittaker, Royal Holloway, University of LondonFollow
Anna Nacher, Jagiellonian University
Illya SzilakFollow
Scott Rettberg, University of BergenFollow

Submission Type

Virtual Engagement Session

Start Date

16-7-2020 11:00 AM

End Date

16-7-2020 12:30 PM

Abstract

VR narratives and artworks have been exhibited and discussed at ELO conferences for years, but this experimental session will be the first ELO panel to take place in a VR space.

This 90 minute session will be held as a free, public event in AltspaceVR, a VR social space which works best for participants using consumer VR headsets but can also be accessed in 2D mode using an app on Mac, Windows and Android operating systems. There will be lightning talks (about 5 minutes each) on VR narratives by researchers and creators, followed by small group discussions among speakers and participants, and then a plenary Q&A session. Speakers include Caitlin Fisher, Director of the York University Augmented Reality Lab; Illya Szilak, author of the VR narratives Queerskins: A Love Story and the forthcoming work Queerskins: Ark; critic and scholar Anna Nacher of the Jagiellonian University, Scott Rettberg, co-author of the VR CAVE narrative Hearts and Minds, and Laryssa Whittaker, an audience insight researcher from StoryFutures, the UK’s National Centre for Immersive Storytelling. The session will be moderated by Jill Walker Rettberg and Maud Ceuterick, both of the University of Bergen.

Partication is possible either using a VR headset (e.g. Oculus Quest) with the AltspaceVR app, or using a Windows computer to connect to a 2D version of AltspaceVR. Unfortunately, there is no Mac or Linux client for AltspaceVR, however, we will write up a summary of the discussions for people who were not able to participate.

To participate, create an AltspaceVR account at altvr.com. Go to the event page to sign up for the event. Install the app from your headset (search for AltspaceVR) or install the Windows client. Please explore AltspaceVR before the event so you can find your way around - and then when it's time, simply log on, select My Events, and click on the event to join us!

Please also sign up on the ELO2020 conference website as this will give you access to the conference discord and let us know what numbers to expect.

Bio

Speakers:

• Caitlin Fisher is Director of the York University Augmented Reality Lab
• Illya Szilak, author of the VR narratives Queerskins, which is now also available for Oculus.
• Anna Nacher of the Jagiellonian University, who has recently written several critical analyses of VR, including on (non)participation in VR.
• Scott Rettberg, co-author of the VR CAVE narrative Hearts and Minds
• Laryssa Whittaker, an audience insight researcher from StoryFutures, the UK’s National Centre for Immersive Storytelling

Facilitators:

• Jill Walker Rettberg, PI of the Machine Vision in Everyday Life project and professor of digital culture at the University of Bergen.
• Maud Ceuterick, MSCA-IF fellow leading the project "Affirmative Post-Cinema: Narrative and Aesthetic Responses to Gender and Power" at the University of Bergen.