Brief
The Cornerstone Partnership approached INITION in creating a first-of-its-kind, immersive therapeutic training tool. This tool helps finds solutions for children’s social care using virtual reality. “Being Me: Revealing and Healing Childhood Trauma” shows the power of VR and how it can help foster empathy.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it”- Harper Lee, To kill a Mockingbird
Solution
The idea of ‘borrowing another’s eyes’ to see a different perspective is a widely discussed aspect of VR. The film follows the early development of the child, beginning in the womb as a foetus. It conveys the effects of substance abuse and domestic violence through the mother. The viewer then experiences abuse and neglect through the eyes of the infant child. Finally, the viewer enters early childhood, observing the power of intervention by adoptive parents.
INITION CEO Adrian Leu states: “We are moving from traditional storytelling in video to ‘story-living’ in virtual reality.”
Result
The film launched at City Hall in October 2017. Industry leaders from social care, film and technology attended the event. They discussed “how immersive technologies can help address issues for children in care.”
Amongst the panellists were Anthony Douglas, CEO of CAFCASS, and Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive of the BFI. They shared their thoughts on the future of virtual reality in the social care sector. Douglas raised the idea of showing adopted children their past, present and future in VR. Nevill believes that the potential for young people to create content in VR is important. Children today are tech-savvy, and they can share content with friends and family. This is important for their development.
VIRTUAL REALITY HAS OFTEN BEEN LINKED TO EMPATHY. IT HAS THE ABILITY TO RAISE AWARENESS AND INCREASE DONATIONS. HOWEVER, ONLY NOW ARE WE SEEING ITS EFFICIENCY IN BRINGING POSITIVE CHANGE TO SOCIETY. WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE SOCIAL VR CAN BE USED TO HELP OVERCOME THE TRAUMA OF CHILDREN – AND THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE THING.
Press Links
http://www.arvrmagazine.com/worlds-1st-foster-carer-adopter-vr-training-tool/