Research, Curation and Consultancy
Alongside our work on developing VR experiences, we consult with organisations interested in understanding and researching the role of virtual reality, healthcare and the creative industries.
The Growing Value of XR in Healthcare Report (2020)
Lead on the development of The Growing Value of XR in Healthcare in the United Kingdom report. This report is the first to explore the use and impact of extended reality technologies (XR) including virtual and augmented reality in the UK’s healthcare sector today. It has heledp government and public health services make informed decisions to ensure the UK is in the best position to realise the potential of XR in healthcare and ultimately improve the quality of people's lives. This report led to the £20m investment into XR and mental health innovation via Innovate UK’s Mindset program.
Embodied Realities (2023) Dreamy Place Festival
Curated by Hatsumi, Embodied Realities was spread across two exhibitions in Brighton and Crawley during Dreamy Place Festival. Embodied Realties plays with the boundaries of gaming and storytelling to explore the intricate tapestry of human existence. You are invited to explore the profound potential of immersive experiences to foster empathy, understanding, and compassion through stepping into the mind, bodies and identities of another.
‘Embodied Realities’ brings together an array of captivating projects that playfully unravel stories through multisensory storytelling, offering profound insights into the diversity of human experience across mental health and identity. From the poignant exploration of gender dysphoria to the thought-provoking journey into the depths of psychosis, this exhibition takes you on an immersive tour of the hidden worlds of feeling that reside within us all.
The Role of the Arts and Creative Practice in Virtual Reality for Mental Health | 2019
We developed research exploring The Role of the Arts and Creative Practice in Virtual Reality for Mental Health. Alongside a written piece of research, and presentation at Alternative Futures, Bristol, 2019 our recommendations led to the development of the StoryFutures Mental Health Fellowships. This program enables artists and SMEs to apply for £20k funding support, and partnerships with psychology researchers at StoryFutures Academy to develop create new immersive tools to improve wellbeing.
Opportunities for Biofeedback Driven Virtual Reality for The Arts and StoryTelling | 2020
Working with the team behind Emteq, biofeedback from VR headset, designed for research and rehabilitation mental and physical health, this project explored how their technology could be utilised by the creative industries to enable biofeedback driven narratives and creative experiences.
Listen in to the Emteq Emotion Lab Podcast, where Charles Nduka (Emteq) James Somauroo (Somx) and Sarah Ticho (Hatsumi) discuss some of the research, opportunities to use VR in social prescribing programs and the need for a UK wide NHS XR strategy.
Health Education England - Technology Enhanced Learning | 2020-2021
Working with the multidisciplinary team at Health Education England - Technology Enhanced Learning to explore new ways to integrate immersive technology into healthcare education training, and help improve quality and access to education through immersive technology simulation-based training. Creating new industry connections with creatives, developers, researchers, NHS Trusts and international initiatives supporting the ethical adoption of XR in healthcare.