Projects
The Kids are Halal (But the Pub isn’t)
The Kids are Halal (But the Pub isn’t)
An immersive XR performance exploring childhood, identity & imagination through the eyes of two working-class, South Asian Muslim siblings in 1990s Yorkshire.
The Kids Are Halal (But The Pub Isn’t) is a ground-breaking XR performance blending motion capture, spatial audio & immersive storytelling to reimagine the world of two working-class, South Asian Muslim siblings growing up in 1990s Yorkshire. From their council estate bedroom, they transform the unfamiliar world of the pub below into a vibrant, Bollywood-inspired dreamscape—exploring memory, belonging & the power of imagination.
This project is rooted in the lived experience of artist Humira Imtiaz and their younger brother—growing up in a world where the pub was central to British life, but culturally off-limits. Through a fusion of cutting-edge technology and personal storytelling, this R&D phase will develop a 15–20 minute immersive prototype that explores how imagination bridges the gap between the familiar and the unknown.
Audiences will move through sound, light, and memory, guided by the digital echoes of the siblings. The result will be a joyful, moving & technically innovative prototype that opens space for underrepresented stories in immersive performance. This is not just an artistic experiment—it’s an invitation to find shared humanity through emerging technology.
Experiment
£20,000
Aims of the Project
The primary aim of The Kids Are Halal (But The Pub Isn’t) is to develop a powerful, culturally resonant XR performance prototype that centres South Asian Muslim working-class childhood experiences—stories that are rarely explored in immersive art.
With this R&D funding, we will bring together a specialist team of artists, including a Movement Director, Spatial Audio Designer & 3D Animator, to create a 15–20 minute interactive prototype using motion capture and real-time immersive storytelling tools.
The funding will enable us to rigorously test the creative potential of markerless motion capture, prototype culturally specific digital choreography & develop narrative workflows that blend lived memory with XR tools. A key goal is to establish inclusive, accessible production practices that can tour community spaces as well as digital and performance festivals, opening immersive performance to audiences often excluded from XR work.
Through work-in-progress sharings, consultancy with cultural experts & engagement with South Asian audiences, we aim to co-create a meaningful, emotionally rich prototype that can later be developed into a full-length production. This project lays the foundation for long-term creative impact—pushing boundaries in digital storytelling while prioritising authenticity, inclusion & shared experience.
Meet the artist
Humira Imtiaz
Lead artist
Humira Imtiaz is a Theatre, Film, and XR Producer and Digital Artist whose work blends immersive technology with storytelling to explore cultural identity, accessibility, and innovation.
Currently General Manager for One Tenth Human and Rafia Hussain Productions, Humira has produced digital commissions, directed for Live Theatre and VAULT Festival, and trained with Young Vic’s Accessing New Technologies and Open Online Theatre. A member of Women in Immersive Technologies, Humira’s work pushes the boundaries of performance to make art more inclusive, emotionally resonant, and future-facing.
Caron-Jane Lyon
Digital Producer
With a professional background in stage management spanning a decade, Caron worked at Sheffield Crucible, Chichester Festival Theatre, toured with Hull Truck and New Perspectives before transitioning into digital innovation and creative tech. In 2021, received a DYCP award, which marked a pivotal shift towards producing original immersive work and supporting artists exploring digital and XR tools.
An Associate Artist at the University of Nottingham’s VIPStudio, Caron plays a central role in mentoring and producing experiences that merge live performance with emerging technologies. Recent credits include producing Androidica, a speculative Metaverse education initiative and supporting NON-PLAYER CHARACTER, a VR musical at the Edinburgh Fringe.
