CULTVR launches this autumn at its newly fitted home in Cardiff, bringing to the city a space dedicated to pursue genuine innovation within immersive tech.
Fitted in a 10,000 sqft facility in Penarth Road, CULTVR becomes Europe’s first immersive cross-disciplinary space with a strong focus on digital arts, live performance and 360º cinema. This unique venue allows for immersive technologies to be developed, tested and deployed, exploring new methods for storytelling within immersive performances and presentations.
Conceived by the award-winning studio 4Pi Productions, CULTVR opens its doors housing a myriad of immersive spaces including a 10ft and a 20ft stereoscopic domes, a VR playzone and the largest screen in Wales housed within a highly adaptable 40ft dome venue.
Matt Wright, Artistic Director of 4Pi Productions, said:
“At 4Pi we have been innovating within the immersive creative arena for over 10 years, and we are really excited to be opening this shared Virtual Reality space to provide creators and audiences in the UK with a unique chance to explore this emerging cultural medium.”
The Lab creates an environment for producers, technologists, film and theatre makers, artists, academics and performers to come together in the pursuit of this unique medium’s capabilities.
In the coming weeks and months, CULTVR will be revealing the programme of upcoming events. For its launch this autumn it will be presenting the immersive production Juniper, a collaboration between 4Pi and the Cardiff based jazz and trip-hop band Slowly Rolling Camera. This piece was originally commissioned by Ffotogallery to present at Diffusion Festival at the Wales Millennium Centre back in April 2019. For more information, please sign up to the e-newsletter on the CULTVR website .
Audiences will be able to participate in shared virtual experiences, transported to other locations around the world through live streaming in 360º and immersive visuals. In addition, CULTVR will facilitate the UK premiere of other immersive art productions and events, live music and unique shared live experiences.
Janire Najera, Creative Director of 4Pi Productions:
“It really excites us to be able to bring international immersive productions to Wales that so far have not been able to tour the UK due to the lack of venue infrastructure. We will be working on establishing partnerships with different dome venues around the world so we can share resources when it comes to R&D and programming.”
4Pi will base its operations from this new facility alongside CULTVR’ resident companies, including Welsh independent record label Bubblewrap Collective, CGI studio United Filmdom and Freelance Arts Marketing Manager, Consultant and Curator Rachel Kinchin.
CULTVR opens its doors this Thursday, if you'd like to know more about it then come along.
