Immersive Empathy

The aim of this project is to produce Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) immersive experiences in collaboration with clients from the Galway Simon Community that can capture and convey aspects of the experience of homelessness.

The immersive experiences, created from the perspective of those who have experienced homelessness, will be used for training of service providers and to increase awareness and empathy amongst the general public.

Immersive Empathy responds to the current homelessness crisis by adopting an engaged research approach to empower those experiencing homelessness to give expression to their experiences via immersive technologies.

Drawing on participatory video methodologies and patient and public involvement (PPI) in research design, it will offer training in immersive technologies to Galway Simon Community clients thereby:

• providing tools for self-expression
• facilitating clients in drawing connections between shared experiences
• providing a tool for advocacy and the expression of alternative narratives around homelessness

Researchers

• Charlotte Silke, Postdoctoral Researcher, UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre
• Conn Holohan (Project PI), Lecturer in Film and Media Studies, Huston School of Film & Digital Media, School of English and Creative Arts.
• David Kelly, Digital Humanities Manager, Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities & Social Studies.
• Karen Young, Lecturer in Information Technology, Engineering & Informatics
• Mairéad Hogan, Lecturer in Business Information Systems, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics
• Marianne Ní Chinnéide, Lecturer in Drama & Head of Production and Curation of the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, School of English and Creative Arts

Project Collaborators

• Camille Donegan – Independent XR Producer
• Peter Stapleton – Galway Simon
• Tommy Walsh – Galway Simon
• Rebecca O’Connor – Galway Simon