“CurfewVR is an empathy training tool exploring the fem experience of public spaces at night. CurfewVR uses virtual reality to invite users to step into our shoes as we travel through Birmingham at night. CurfewVR is built with the verbatim voices of 16-86 year-olds from our community, aiming to encourage victim-centred approaches to VAWG reduction.”

At the centre of CurfewVR’s sound is the use of verbatim recordings, taken from focus groups. These were integrated into ambisonic scenes composed of spatial recording and monophonic sources taken during filming, additional sound design, and musical composition.

There were a lot of considerations made for the stylistic integration of verbatim recordings. It was important that the voices were independent from the user, stressing the understanding of their words, rather than experiencing them directly. For this reason, verbatim was integrated spatially in the scene, with a distance from the participant and, where appropriate, embedded into diegetic sound sources.

These scenes were integrated into Unity, along with interactive and UI sound. Together, the soundscape of CurfewVR creates an immersive environment in which participants can explore the fear and experience of victim blaming amongst fem-presenting people navigating public space at night.

“The Research & Development of CurfewVR was funded by Innovate UK.”

“CurfewVR was piloted by West Midlands Combined Authority’s Transport Safety Officers, and the Moseley & Kings Heath Neighbourhood Policing Team.”