Sensory Storytelling – Using XR to Connect to the Body
As part of the programme, Ruth McCullough, (Immersive Arts Executive Producer) was joined by Clémentine Bedos (Breathscapes), Kit Wardle (Beat Blocks) and Deepa Mann-Kler (The Baby Factory is Closed) for a panel discussion on how XR can connect more deeply with the body and senses.
Moving beyond purely visual experiences, the conversation explored how touch, breath, sound and physical sensation are becoming central to immersive storytelling. Each project approaches this in a different way: Breathscapes explores breath as a shared, symbiotic force through MR, live performance and biosensitive technologies, Beat Blocks reimagines the dance floor as a multisensory, access-first environment, and The Baby Factory is Closed uses VR and explores the physical and emotional complexities of menopause.
Together, the panel offered a powerful snapshot of the potential impact of sensory technologies to create work that connects audiences with their bodies and environment. How artists are shaping new whole body modes of interaction and engagement, that champion often unheard voices challenging some of the dominant (ableist/colonial) narratives. Reflecting on what it means to be making work in this emerging field and what they predict for the future of the artform.
The Baby Factory is Closed at SXSW
Alongside the panel, The Baby Factory is Closed was premiered to SXSW audiences. This 20-minute, single-player VR experience places you inside the body of Zoraan, a British-born Sikh woman navigating menopause in the context of climate collapse and the legacies of colonial medicine.
Blending real-time visuals, diasporic sound and bio-haptic feedback, the work is intense and immersive – you breathe, move and react alongside her. Using gesture, voice and biometric interaction, audiences don’t just observe the story, but actively shape it, becoming part of what the creators describe as an act of embodied rebellion. The piece reframes menopause as something powerful and transformative, challenging more traditional narratives around it.
Ruth McCullough said:
“It was hugely exciting to see Deepa and the Aura team premier this work at South by Southwest and see it so well received by an international audience and peers. The work crafts a new form of sensory storytelling about our climate and bodies, and I’m excited for audiences to go on this embodied journey with Zoraan. It feels like it couldn’t be told (or felt) any other way.
Bringing both the panel and The Baby Factory is Closed to SXSW marked an exciting moment for the artists and the wider Immersive Arts community. It’s clear there’s a growing appetite for this kind of work, and we’re looking forward to seeing what comes next.”
