The covid-19 pandemic has led to a surge of interest in how we can experience and enjoy virtual nature and the great outdoors, by using digital technology, when staying in the safety of our homes.

Join us for a panel discussion about virtual walks, chaired by Sue Thomas, author of “Nature and Wellbeing in the Digital Age“, who champions how we can use technology to feel better without logging off. 

Sue will be joined by cultural geographer and digital media artist, Jack Lowe, who will talk about a genre of video games known as walking simulators and his research in developing location-based online games, as a method of place based digital storytelling.

Use of atmospheric sound recordings is very much part of the ambience of virtual walking simulators and videogames. Completing the panel will be Wildlife and Environmental Sounds Curator, Cheryl Tipp and Digital Curator, Stella Wisdom both from the British Library, who will discuss how digitised sound recordings from the Library’s sound archive have been innovatively used in video games made by UK students, as part of the Library’s “Off the Map” initiative.

Guests

Jack Lowe

 

Cheryl Tipp

 

Stella Wisdom

 

Moderator

Sue Thomas

 

Photo credit: virtual Whitby Abbey, one of the British Library’s “Off the Map” gothic winning entries. Created by Team Flying Buttress, i.e. six students from De Montfort University, Ben Mowson, Elliott Pacel, Ewan Couper, Finn McAvinchey, Kit Grande and Katie Hallaron.