Sunderland VR Show 3.1 Examines August 2024 Unrest
A cutting-edge theatre experience blending live performance and virtual reality, 3.1, will soon debut in North East England, welcoming audiences into a mixed-reality world through VR headsets.
Commissioned by The Cultural Spring, the production responds to the unrest in Sunderland on 2 August 2024 and explores its effects on the city.
Southpaw uses technology to blend archival material with 3D digital environments and live acting, creating a hybrid theatrical experience.
The narrative centres on four composite characters, each showing a different perspective formed by age, background and lived experience. These viewpoints were developed through consultation with communities across Sunderland, with the company engaging residents over several weeks to understand both the immediate effects of the unrest and the wider issues surrounding it.
The production explores how individuals form views and how quickly they can make judgments about others. It also considers how personal beliefs develop and how instances of frustration can lead to action. Alongside this, the work considers whether forms of personal and collective repair are possible following such events.
The script has been informed by contributions from a broad range of participants, including young offenders, members of global-majority communities, and older residents. The material has evolved throughout this process, incorporating perspectives from across the city’s various sections.
The work also reflects the pressures individuals face, including monetary, social, and governmental factors, and how these can contribute to division within communities. At the same time, it acknowledges smaller acts of support and cooperation that can help rebuild connections between people.
The title of the production references a participant’s account of taking 3.1 seconds to form a judgment about another person. This idea is reflected in the piece’s structure and themes.
Live performances of 3.1 will take place at Southpaw’s Sheepfolds studio, located next to the Stadium of Light, on 2 and 3 April. Performances are scheduled for 12:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Digital-only VR performances will run from 7 to 10 April at 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00.
Don’t lose your chance to experience 3.1. Book your tickets for just £5 (concessions available) at southpaw.org.uk. Each performance lasts about an hour and includes a VR headset. Suitable for younger audiences, children should attend with a responsible adult.
3.1 is part of Sunderland: Our Home, a community cohesion programme by The Cultural Spring to support understanding after the unrest.
Another project, Dear Sunderland by Unfolding Theatre, invites locals to share letters about their connection to the city, which are later shaped into a performance.
The Sunderland: Our Home programme is supported by funding from Sunderland City Council, the UK Government’s Community Renewal and Community Strength Funds, and Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places programme.
