Remote Rhythms: Audience-informed insights for designing remote music performances

This paper examines the design of technology for remote music performances, from the perspective of their audiences. In this process, we involved a total of 104 participants across the different stages of our project. Initially, we collected qualitative data from remote audiences using several methods, including surveys, interviews, and observations. Through the thematic analysis of this data, we identified four design dimensions consisting of 17 key elements that illustrate what audiences value in remote music spaces. We applied these insights in a participatory design workshop with diverse stakeholders, contributing to the development of speculative design ideas in this field. The paper concludes by presenting key design insights for future technology advancements in remote music performances. The research contributes to the evolving design space of remote music performances, offering valuable perspectives for researchers, designers, and industry stakeholders

"I was Holding a Magic Box": Investigating the Effects of Private and Projected Displays in Outdoor Heritage Walks

Location-aware mobile guides are a popular technology for enhancing the experience of heritage walks in historical outdoor sites. Smartphones, as typical mediums for such systems, have been criticised for limiting users’ opportunities for embodied engagement with the environment. In this work, we investigate how display technologies beyond the traditional personal mobile screen can facilitate embodied experiences during outdoor heritage walks. To do this, we revisit the use of portable projected displays as a medium that allows us to explore the effects of overt and blended displays in this context. We conducted a study with 42 participants on an out- door heritage walk, using two display modalities: smartphone and projected display. We discovered that besides the display modality, users’ attitude toward technology, their embodied relationship with the device, and incorporation of spatial aspects in interaction play a key role in generating engagement and shaping the experience of heritage walks

Co-creating Meaningful Spaces: Stepping into Virtual Worlds Crafted by People Living with Dementia

This paper presents a unique artistic endeavour that aims to foster an understanding of the profound impact of space, place, and human connection through the lens of individuals living with dementia. Our work involved a five-week co-creation process, comprising twenty sessions, where forty-four participants collaborated with artists to craft four physical boxes representing "Meaningful Places." These boxes were then transformed into immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environments, inviting the participants to engage with their creations in an entirely new way. The art installation during the DIS 2023 Art exhibition features the VR experience alongside the physical boxes our workshop participants created. With this, we invite viewers to step into the worlds imagined and crafted by those living with dementia, but also explore them, in a celebration of the unique perspectives and experiences of those who made them

VRPassport: Travel the world in Virtual Reality for people with Dementia

The loss of autonomy that comes with being in the care of others has a significant impact on the emotional well-being of people with dementia (PwD). Our research aims to investigate key design factors when creating Virtual Reality (VR) non-pharmacological interventions to improve their emotional wellbeing and enhance their interactions with caregivers. This paper, presents the iterative design and initial evaluation of a VR system aiming to enhance the procedure of admitting VR interventions

Keep the VRhythm going: A musician-centred study investigating how Virtual Reality can support creative musical practice

The acoustic and visual experiences of musicians in the spaces they perform in are complex and organic in nature, entailing a continuous interaction with the environment. With this project, we leverage the power of Virtual Reality (VR) to support musicians in their creative practice by transporting them to novel sonic and visual worlds. For this, we developed a musician-centred VR system, featuring various acoustic and visual virtual environments, VR Rehearse & Perform, based on design requirements gathered with musicians and performance experts. To investigate how VR can be designed to support music-makers in their creative musical practice, we performed iterative tests with 19 musicians followed by semi-structured interviews. Our fndings suggest that VR has the potential to support diferent aspects of the creative musical practice, such as rehearsing, performing and improvising. Our research provides insights and inspirations toward designing musician-centred VR experiences for various musical activities

Meaningful Spaces, Meaningful Places: Co-creating VR Experiences with People Living with Dementia

Drawing inspiration from collaborative art-making, our study presents the methodology and findings of a process of co-creating meaningful spaces with individuals living with dementia, and the subsequent exploration of these spaces from a first-person perspective in virtual reality (VR). We examine the dual role of art as a means of communication for expressing emotions and thoughts, as well as a tool for empowerment and transformation which leads to new experiences and perspectives. Through this, our work contributes to the understanding and development of innovative, non-pharmacological interventions for enhancing the emotional well-being and quality of life of people living with dementia

VR Rehearse & Perform - A platform for rehearsing in Virtual Reality

In this paper, we propose VR Rehearse & Perform - a Virtual Reality application for enhancing the rehearsal efforts of performers by providing them access to accurate recreations - both visual and acoustical - of iconic concert venues

Sensing Heritage: Exploring Creative Approaches for Capturing, Experiencing and Safeguarding the Sensorial Aspects of Cultural Heritage

Whilst there is increasing work investigating the role of digital documentation, interpretation, and augmentation of cultural heritage, such interventions have largely focused on visual and sometimes auditory modalities, neglecting the full spectrum of human senses. With this workshop we seek to bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers, designers, practitioners and community members to explore creative approaches for documenting and experiencing cultural heritage’s rich sensory dimensions extending beyond visual-based approaches to encompass sound, smell, taste, and touch. The workshop directly aligns with the conference’s exploration of "Why Design?" by utilising design as a powerful, empathetic, and participatory tool for safeguarding cultural heritage. Our goal is to extend our understanding of concepts, methods and technologies for capturing and experiencing sensory heritage, advocating for a holistic approach that celebrates and communicates the profound sensory diversity of human cultures, inspiring a shift in how we document, interpret and share cultural heritage

Music from anywhere & everywhere: exploring the design space of remote music performance

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed the realm of music performance and consumption, prompting the adoption of novel technologies and interaction methods for musicians and audiences alike. My thesis delves into the design space of remote music performances, concentrating on understanding user needs and preferences as well as exploring the potential of emerging technologies, such as extended reality, to fulfil these desires. The work aims to provide valuable insights into how musicians and audiences can adeptly navigate the swiftly evolving landscape while also informing the creation of more inclusive and inventive solutions that enable individuals to engage with music from anywhere and everywhere. By doing so, my research aspires to offer inspirational starting points for future work and design initiatives that ultimately enhance the overall experience of music performed and experienced remotely for both musicians and audiences in the post-pandemic world

A Workshop on Designing the Performances of the Future at IMX 2022

This workshop aims to start a conversation as to what the performances of the future might look like by inviting both researchers and practitioners to present their work in this domain. It will explore the interception of technology and performance, with a focus on how technology might be leveraged to enhance performances and the process of developing performances, provide new ways to reach and interact with audiences, as well as how it can create new ways of performing