The Edinburgh International Festival announces the opening of the Philharmonia VR Experience at Space @ Broomhouse Hub, which will be available for four days of music and discovery from 20th – 24th August.
This 360° experience, which is free to attend and unticketed, brings the classical music experience to Broomhouse with the opportunity to see the UK premiere of the Philharmonia VR Experience’s performance of Vaughan Williams’s iconic piece, The Lark Ascending, performed by Festival Director Nicola Benedetti with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Attendees will wear a VR headset which will allow them to sit right in the heart of the orchestra and experience this profoundly moving performance in astonishing detail. This VR experience will be staffed by graduates and members of Space Station, an entry level skills development course designed to support local people into the hospitality sector.
The Philharmonia VR Experience marks the first Edinburgh International Festival event held at Space @ The Broomhouse Hub which was named as the Edinburgh International Festival’s inaugural Community Connections Hub earlier this year. Which is an 18-month partnership exploring opportunities for creative collaboration and connection between the Festival and the local community.
Neil Hay, CEO, Space @ The Broomhouse Hub said: “This is a wonderful thing to be able to bring to Broomhouse. Despite being in Edinburgh, it can often feel as though big cultural activities are set very far apart from communities like those in Southwest Edinburgh.
“This partnership will allow people to experience things they never have before or take part in things that they simply would never have considered. This is the first event as part of our link with Edinburgh International Festival and we are excited to see what the next 18 months might bring.”
This event is free and unticketed. Each slot is 20 minutes long. Listed below are the times the VR Experience is open.
Wed 21 Aug 11.30-13.45, 15.00-16.00, 17.00-18.40
Fri 23 Aug 11.30-13.45, 15.00-16.40
Sat 24 Aug 10.30-11.45, 13.15-14.00, 15.00-16.40
More information on the Edinburgh International Festival’s Discovery and Participation programme, which runs year-round, can be found here: https://www.eif.co.uk/social-impact.