THE PROBLEM
The Energy and Environment Institute, at the University of Hull, works towards tackling global challenges surrounding climate change and its consequences on livelihoods.
The world-leading research conducted by the institute has received royal recognition and is helping governments, businesses and communities to become more sustainable in the fight against climate change.
Flooding is a major threat to the UK, second only to a pandemic. Climate change will make storms heavier and more frequent, increasing the risk of flooding.
5.2 million properties are currently at risk, yet less than 10% of those at risk consider themselves to be. The Environment Agency wants to make more people aware of their flood risk and be better prepared as a result.
Children are some of the most vulnerable to flooding, but also have an amazing capacity for resilience and to make changes happen. Social scientists at Lancaster University have worked with young people to help them tell their stories and make a difference for others like them. For those affected by flooding to be able to share their stories is an important step to recovery.
360 videos and virtual reality allow you to immerse someone into a new world. The SeriousGeoGames Lab, part of the Energy and Environment Institute, uses 360 videos and VR to share research on environmental issues and solutions. This is effective at engaging people with different perspectives.
The SeriousGeoGames Lab, Lancaster University, and The Environment Agency wanted to come together to tell Callum’s story in an immersive and captivating way. They wanted to give Callum a voice.
THE SOLUTION
The SeriousGeoGames Lab approached Lampada for a solution to address its need of developing an immersive story to help raise awareness for this cause.
The Help Callum 360 VR experience tells the true story of a young boy whose house was flooded, using his own words and seeing through his own eyes.
By collaborating with The SeriousGeoGames Lab, Lancaster University and The Environment Agency, as well as receiving the backing of the University of Hull, our Learning and Immersive Team were able to bring Callum’s story to life.
The video enables viewers to see first-hand the unique difficulties children have to deal with in situations like these and understand the fear and loneliness they feel. The video offers pauses for reflection, whilst asking the audience what they would do to help Callum in this situation, providing a thought-provoking experience throughout.
In the first few weeks of its launch, Help Callum was viewed over 1,500 times on SeriousGeoGames’ YouTube Channel, and showcased exclusively at the Virtual Waterline Summit 2020. The project’s early success has led to talks for other young survivors’ stories to be brought to life in the near future.
The hope is that the ability of the 360 video to immerse you into a scene combined with a powerful true narrative, will spread Callum’s story far and wide.
The video is currently at 63,641 views on YouTube.
Callum's story is now able to be told around the globe
“Help Callum was an unusual project and one that required a lot of creative direction to ensure it remained faithful to the original testimony. The team at Lampada were responsive and helpful throughout in helping us achieve this and Callum's story is now being told around the globe. ”