VR-CULT
Virtual Theatre as a New Medium of Understanding Culture
Project Leader: Doc. Wei-lun Lu
VR-CULT:
The project is based on the involvement of philology (Chinese language and literature), cultural studies (sinology), and performative arts (theater). The philological and cultural components form the content of the educational process, while theater serves as the "medium" through which education is realized and also generates significant value.
IT solution
The development follows the methods of user-computer interaction (HCI) and user-oriented design with participative involvement of representatives from target and expert groups throughout the design process through iterative verification of user-friendliness and expert evaluation.
Culture and Theater
Special attention is given to studying cultural realities and motifs and their projection into both the iVR application and the theatrical scenario, so that both components actively communicate important cultural concepts, stimulate discussion, and facilitate intercultural and language learning
Education
: The educational process will be primarily built on the principles of constructivist education (situational, experiential, collaborative learning), supported by analytical methods of cognitive theater studies.
The project proposes a new form and content of cultural and language education that takes place entirely in an immersive virtual environment. The learning process is built on the foundation of constructivist educational approaches and the realization of artistic performance. The design of the educational process is based on active and consistent use of immersive collaborative virtual reality—students thereby discover the characteristics of this technology and its potential use in the fields of remote communication and collaboration, education, or artistic creation.
The project responds to the global trend of the emerging medium of virtual reality, and the possibility of participation in an online environment ensures accessibility regardless of geographical region. A dense network of libraries and the new trend of libraries offering VR hardware represents an opportunity for engagement without the need to own the necessary equipment. Libraries thus fulfill their roles adapted to the new era—digital education and new ways of sharing cultural content.
The Essence of the Project
- The project is based on the involvement of philology (Chinese language and literature), cultural studies (sinology), and performative arts (theater).
- The philological and cultural components form the content of the educational process, while theater serves as the "medium" through which education is realized and also generates significant value.
- Thus, the project seeks ways to present a foreign language through theatrical situations and enable its learning while engaging in theater, and convey complex cultural concepts (norms, meanings, values) in specific situations through dramatized concepts.
Project Phases
- Introductory workshop and familiarisation of stakeholders with the focus of theatre production in iVR. Next, representatives of Chinese studios will develop a theatre script. January 1 2024
- Developing a software solution that compactly designs to connect 3D scene functionality and tools. Based on the expert findings, the basic concept of the methodology will be further developed. January 1 2025
- Final modification of the SW solution, playing a compact theatre game, finalising the methodology and sharing the theatre game in the final workshop. January 1 2026
Implemented Workshops
17. 5. 2024: Virtual Theatre as a New Medium of Understanding Culture - Practical workshop (Cognition and Artificial Life Conference)
The workshop will introduce a concept aimed at cultural and language education through theater in collaborative immersive virtual reality. The solution is designed for a Chinese cultural context, and in the technology (social XR), we see significant potential for an innovatively immersive approach to conveying cultural competencies and language education. Workshop organized within the TACR Sigma project "Virtual Theatre as a New Medium of Understanding Culture"