Virtual Imperative conference 2023
In November 2023 the York Virtual/Augmented Reality Research Group organized the hugely successful Virtual Imperative conference on the YSJ London campus. The group reached out to leading figures in the field of VR/AR and initiated an international call for academic papers. We where able to invite speakers and exhibitors from META, Imperial College London, Cinesite, TalentForTech, Leeds Beckett University, VoxarLabs, and the internationally renowned artist/designer April Greiman.
The conference tickets were sold out, with attendees from the BBC, government agencies, the Police Federation, Channel Four and faculty and postgrad students from many UK educational institutions. We received considerable support from York St. John University with the proceeding introduced by Professor Richard Bourne (Pro vice chancellor, Education, YSJ) and moderated by Professor Helen Minors (Head of School of the Arts, YSJ). The event was also made possible by generous QR funding it received from YSJ.
Conference theme
Gutenberg’s press of the 1400s sparked what became known as the print revolution. His method for mass communication (the printed book) changed the world and remained unchallenged until the 1960s; when the emergence of computer technologies led to what was to be labelled the digital revolution. Leading up to both these technological breakthroughs there was a sense of something new ‘in the air’; a technological and social framework was in place for change. The term revolution (a sudden, radical, and complete change) is fitting in both cases as society had been primed for such change; the benefits were clear, and technological change was rapidly adopted around the globe.
In our own time, VR and AR technologies are well established – though there is a sense that their application, or worth, has still to be defined. Such developments represent a social and cultural imperative; evidenced by the contemporary discourse around the Metaverse, with issues of ownership, control, and positioning in the marketplace.
Keynote Speakers
Industry Showcases
Comments