Immersive impact – A knifes edge
Ark Immersive has engaged with The Everton Free school and it’s parent trust The Peoples Learning Trust to produce a suite of films to help educators have more robust discussions with school students about knife crime in the city. (Key stage 3 and above)
The films have been shot using immersive capture technology and viewed using VR Headsets – the reason for this is to attempt to give each viewer some ‘lived experience’ with regards to connecting with the messages of the films. By taking viewers to spaces such as Resus’ bays, Custody suites and even to mortuary visiting rooms we hope to de-glamourise and have honest and sober conversations. Our aim isn’t to scare viewers, but to offer them the ability to connect on their own terms and form emotional bonds to the material.
Film one centres around the anatomy of the immediate response to a crime and will take us on a journey through the spaces connected with the act, meeting front line workers who live this part of culture day in – day out. They provide insight and truthful accounts of instances, and answer questions fielded by our host (Ralf Little – The Royle Family, 2 Pint of Lager, Death in Paradise) this will gives us the opportunity to ask the obvious question and drive home the tone and messaging.
Film two is entirely centred around victim statements, where we visit the spaces connected to the people who have lost their lives, touching on the impact these crimes have, and seeing the legacy of such actions. Through these films tonally we hope to create the feeling and notion that people actually do have a choice, a choice not to carry or involve themselves with such crimes, moreover our non-verbal notion is that these people who have lost their lives, their spaces, places are people – are ‘just like me’ We hope to create connection to the source, and aim to get youngsters to realise that these thing happen, and have happened to people just like them.
The additional films are entirely driven to educate viewers on what to do if you, or a friend is stabbed – what are the ABC’s of bleed control, and how do you buy yourself, or someone else time while the paramedics arrive. This will be Led by Nikhil Misra a Trauma surgeon and leader of KnifeSavers a brilliant local charity that seeks to end knife crime. Finally Nikhil teaches viewers how to use the modern bleed control pack which are becoming more common in public areas. The films are free to download on Any VR headset, and are supported by lesson plans, parent/guardian opt-in letters and teaching materials.