Welsh language VR experience makes history on international stage
A significant milestone for Welsh arts occurred this week as the virtual reality project Ôl | Haunts secured a spot at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. This marks the first time a Welsh language virtual reality work has been selected for the festival competition. The piece explores the year 2006, examining the early rise of social media through the perspective of a small slate town in Gwynedd. By combining archival footage with modern technology, the creators aim to capture a specific moment of cultural transition.
The production serves as a collaboration between the Wales Millennium Centre, Pilot Theatre, and Dreaming Methods. It features narrative contributions from actors Callum Scott-Howells and Steffan Donnelly. The audio landscape includes music from artists such as Super Furry Animals, John Cale, and High Contrast. This blend of theater, virtual landscapes, and historical broadcast archives offers viewers a multi-sensory experience that reflects on youth and memory.
Funding for the project came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Welsh Government, with the work produced via the Wales Broadcast Archive. This archive project pulls together records from BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Cymru Wales, and S4C to preserve local history. The team behind the project intends to highlight the creative capacity within Wales while proving that regional storytelling holds global appeal.
Before its international premiere at the Venice Immersive Island in September, the experience will be available for viewing at the National Eisteddfod in North Pembrokeshire this August. It will later appear at the Llais Festival in October. This project represents a sustained effort by the Wales Millennium Centre to support local artists and push the boundaries of immersive media production. It stands as a demonstration of how cultural institutions can pair traditional archival work with new technology to reach international audiences.