The immersive world of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Gaming is coming to the Perth Cultural Centre Expo 15 – 18 September. Whether you’re a novice or an expert go to XR:WA and have your mind blown for free! I’ve been the past two years and wouldn’t miss it.
I’ve been to the last two exhibitions and can tell you it’s well worth the visit. I was fascinated to find out how this technology can be used for art, entertainment, education and training, science, research, and business. It really got my mind thinking about how to employ this technology in your life. Don’t worry if you’re a complete novice like me, all the exhibitors make you feel really welcome. They’re just really excited to show you what they can do.
“We’re very proud to be able to bring close to 100 of some of the most dynamic VR, games and augmented reality experiences to local audiences and industry free of charge” says XR:WA Director Richard Sowada.
“These talks, discussions and exhibitions include innovations and approaches that take each of the forms to new and ambitious territory for WA audiences and we can’t wait to see the impact.”
The conference and exhibition showcase the ideas, works, technology and constantly evolving environment of the VR, AR and digital screen industry. Held across four days, it’s the biggest collection of VR experiences the state has ever seen.
My tips are:
- Clear your diary for the four days, you’ll need all that time to let your mind settle between offerings;
- Whether you’re a novice or not, make sure you go to the Games and Experience Emporium at the WA Museum Boola Bardip’s Hackett Hall. It features over 30 VR experiences, over 40 computer games and over 20 AR experiences as well as industry talks. I’ll definitely be heading there;
- PICA Hackathon. PICA will present six new locally developed works by Perth-based artists that have been created over a 4-day Hackathon event held as part of their partnership with Frame Labs and Immerse Australia. These works present exciting visions of artists working in AR, VR and 360 video for the first time and explore a range of ideas from native flora of the Southwest, experiments with shadows, online adult content creators and the religious and spiritual power of talismans. I got to hang out with the guys at Frame Labs last time. Great guys who are always working on something interesting. This is also a must on my list;
- For inspiration visit SUTU. Artwork by Stuart Campbell will be exhibited as part of the Games and Experience Emporium at Hackett Hall. An artist who creates immersive cutting-edge art combining AR and VR techniques to bring together a cyberpunk/comic world of graffiti and tech and everything in between, SUTU has worked with the likes of Google, Disney and Marvel;
- For the movie buffs, go to Screen Australia + Screenwest Roundtables. XR:WA is hosting a visit from Screen Australia’s Games Investment Manager, Amelia Laughlan, as well as representatives from Screenwest. Roundtables will examine relevant local and national strategies in the games and immersive sector across art, entertainment and documentary outputs;
- Talking about film, there’s Path 99. A full spectrum audio-visual experience of a continent’s shifting weather systems, Path 99 is a film designed for full dome planetarium projection and will be screened at Scitech on Friday 16 September, 7.30pm;
- Also Perth – Modulated – A City in Flux. With a key focus on buildings and points of significance in Noongar Boodja, this short film covers the changing architectural landscape over the past century. Or El Caballo Blanco – History at your fingertips – lifting the lid on one of Perth’s most unique architectural and social icons, the abandoned El Caballo theme park;
- If you’re thinking of getting into the industry or even just dabbling the expo provides excellent networking opportunities. For example, there’s the 3-Day Trade Floor and Exhibition where you can check out local, national and international companies, organisations, campuses and screen artists;
- If you’re more experienced and want to listen to some healthy debates about the industry check out the Academic Conference;
- Then there’s Game Jam at Hackett Hall. It’s held in association with the Perth Games Festival and features live free-roam VR experiences, locally developed table-top and computer games. Meet the makers, explore the career possibilities and see what’s being developed right here in Perth. Game Jam runs Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August from 10.15am – 5pm and is FREE to the public and exhibitors;
- State Library of WA VR Commissions. Created by Viewport VR, commissioned by XRWA and the Revelation Perth International Film Festival and based on elements from the State Library of WA’s collection, two VR projects will be launched as part of this year’s Exhibition;
- Talks. Across the 3-Day Trade Floor and Exhibition, talks and discussions at XR:WA will tackle areas examining the current funding and financing environment, utilising the strength of scientific collaborations in VR, using games for protest and advocacy, the state of play in the local sector, games and VR in medicine and international distribution for VR.
Check out the full program Explore the full programme
XR:WA is designed to inspire a new generation of creatives and businesses to explore the world of possibilities in VR, AR, Immersive technology and gaming. It always gets me thinking about how amazing life is and what brilliant people we have working in this state. I genuinely hope you don’t miss it.
