A workshop with Dylan Valley, alumni of the New Dimensions Lab, an annual residential training lab run by Electric South which brings together a diverse group of African artists to develop stories through creative technologies alongside leading industry mentors in the XR community. Azibuye – The Occupation, Dylan’s project to come from the 2018 lab, was the first ever South African VR/360 work to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He talks about the process of adapting one’s story to suit the 360 video format, challenges and possibilities to expect when working in VR and key takeaways from the Sundance New Frontier showcase. Electric South is an NPO that provides mentorship, production services, funding and exhibition for a network of artists across Africa to explore their worlds through immersive, interactive stories including virtual and augmented reality, and other digital media. We believe that new technologies must open up spaces for original voices and underrepresented narratives. Our role is to support the first wave of African creators of immersive, interactive stories through training, production and distribution.
Dylan Valley – Director