In Here, Out There is a 23 minute interactive 360° fulldome experience which uses the flow of breath, light and sound to dissolve the boundaries between the body and the surrounding audio-visual ecology.

This immersive embodied experience uses real-time data capture to enable the viewer’s breath to function as a means of navigation through an evolving 360° narrative. The flow of breath traverses the boundaries between internal and external realms, anchoring the viewer in a conscious interaction with the fulldome space that reflects our complex real-world ecological exchange. The work addresses climate change from an ecological systems perspective, cultivating an ecological understanding that brings awareness to the impact each individual has on the world around them.

The physical space of the 360° dome plays a crucial role in the In Here Out There experience. Fulldome is a unique egocentric media environment which triggers embodied physiological responses to visual, aural and spatial cues. The viewer’s body becomes an active part of the narrative experience making fulldome a powerful space for immersive storytelling. In Here, Out There is the first fulldome film to integrate data-driven interactivity using the viewer’s breathing to navigate a narrative in 360° space. It offers a communal immersive experience that invites collaboration, shared interaction and personal exchange among the participants.

The 7-minute pilot and proof of concept shown above was created with R&D funding from the XR Stories Strategic R&D Grant Climate Change Challenge (AHRC Creative Cluster, University of York) and was exhibited at Green Screens: Environmental Sustainability and XR Storytelling at the York Guildhall in January 2023. The project will move into its final production phase later in 2023.