In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats - VR experience!

Belfast XR Festival presents;

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats

The UK’s biggest immersive VR experience comes to Belfast in 2025

Taking place at Carlisle Memorial Church, Belfast from 24 February – 26 March

TICKETS ON SALE NOW VIA https://www.belfastxrfestival.com

A multi-sensory joyride into the heart of a working-class revolution in dance

“We were there. We were there. Back in 1989. It’s so emotional. An experience that is second to none.” Jeff Parris, aka Man Parris (Acid House legend)

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, the internationally acclaimed, award-winning interactive VR adventure that transports you into the heart of the Acid House movement is coming to Belfast in 2025 at the stunning Carlisle Memorial Church venue.  The VR experience, produced by East City Films and created by Darren Emerson, will visit eight cities across the UK from Belfast and Cardiff to London.  The tour is jointly supported by Arts Council England and BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund.

The experience will take audiences back in time to the beginning of the Acid House movement and the creation of UK rave culture telling a multicultural story of collaboration and unity that celebrates music, friendship, and the joy of youth.

The experience of tracking down and arriving at an all-night illegal warehouse party at the height of the rave scene in Coventry, 1989 puts audiences into the shoes of rave culture pioneers.  Viewers are taken on a multi-sensory joyride into the past, bringing to life the stories of the promoters, police officers, pirate radio stations, and secret warehouse rave-goers, whose rivalries and relationships drove a revolution in music and society.  The film features euphoric rave anthems such as Chime by Orbital and Energy Flash by Joey Beltram. 

‘Beats uses Virtual Reality (VR) technology to fully immerse audiences in a one-hour multi-sensory interactive experience that is awash with meticulous period detail. It surrounds participants with the sounds, senses, and the thrill of being young (again).  

'Beats was produced with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, and Coventry City of Culture Trust. Following its world premiere and sell-out run as part of the 2022 Coventry UK City of Culture, ‘Beats travelled on the international festival circuit and was seen by audiences across the globe at festivals such as BFI London Film Festival, South by Southwest Festival, Austin; Melbourne International Film Festival; IDFA Amsterdam and Geneva International Film Festival.

‘Beats has won four high-profile VR awards including the Location-Based VR Entertainment of the Year at the VR Awards 2023, the DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction at IDFA 2022, the Anidox: VR Award at the Viborg Animation Festival 2023, followed by winning the Best Film & Digital: Interactive Award at Adelaide Fringe in 2024.

Returning to the UK for its homecoming tour, ‘Beats launched at Waterhall at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery from 19 July until 1 September 2024.  The next stop on the national tour will be Brighton Dome in November, Belfast XR Festival in February 2025 and Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff in April 2025.  Additional cities on the tour will be announced in the coming months.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats has been created with extensive involvement of some of the leading figures of the Midlands rave scene at the time, including Coventry’s legendary promoters Amnesia House.

Following the VR experience there will be a dedicated display containing archive, flyers, posters, photography, and objects exploring the local rave scene connected to the venue’s city.

The creative team behind ‘Beats spent time making the experience fully accessible to wheelchair users with a seated version and d/Deaf audiences with subtitles, Haptics (vibration), Access Packs, VR Explainer and scene descriptions and Touch Tour.

To further enhance the experience, East City Films has partnered with Woojer. Woojer’s innovative haptic vests will add to the multi-sensory journey, immersing users in a vibrant auditory landscape and enhancing accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing community. This collaboration aims to deliver an inclusive experience that resonates deeply with all audiences.

Tickets are now on sale for In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats at Belfast’s Carlisle Memorial Church, here: https://www.belfastxrfestival.com

The Belfast XR Festival is supported by the Belfast City Council, National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and Future Screens NI, Digital Catapult NI and Ulster University through the Ulster Screen Academy. We are proud to be sponsored by Hill Business Growth Consultants. 

Director Darren Emerson, East City Films said:

“I am absolutely thrilled that In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats will have its Irish premiere at the Belfast XR Festival in the beautiful setting of Carlisle Memorial Church. When we decided to tour this VR experience around the UK, coming to Belfast felt like a MUST. What other city could connect to the unifying nature of dance music culture more than Belfast? Because take away the technology of VR and this is what Beats is really all about; it’s about DIY culture, bourgeoning friendships, and disparate communities coming together to connect and dance till dawn. I see Acid House as a vital moment of revolution at the end of a fractious decade; a non-violent protest in the face of the things that would seek to separate us. A quiet revolution, apart from the thumping bass. There is a reason that Belfast is the UNESCO City of Music, and that is because of its rich and varied expressions in music culture: one of which being its vital, and dynamic role in shaping the underground electronic dance music scene. I hope audiences come to experience In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats and experience a work that celebrates freedom, adventure, and a sense of community. A piece of work that was made with an open heart for all people to enjoy."

Deepa Mann-Kler, Director, Belfast XR Festival said: 

"Belfast XR Festival has been working for over a year now to bring In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats to Belfast. So we are ecstatic that this world class, award-winning, genre defying, immersive experience will be at the Carlisle Memorial Church for 30 days, opening on Monday 24 February and running until Wednesday 26 March 2025. Beats celebrates a unique moment in music cultural history that has a particular resonance for audiences locally. When I talk about Beats being an experience - it really is that - so from the moment you enter Carlisle Memorial Church, you'll feel the same excitement and trepidation of entering a rave. You will walk through a neon graffiti rave corridor, where you can hear the dhum dhum dhum of the bass; to then entering a blue lit, stained glass interior of the Church where you are taken back to a very particular moment in time where you will dance with other people; to the sunrise once you have completed the virtual reality experience; to an exhibition of flyers, which includes a rich tapestry of locally sourced material; and finally a surprise, which we really don't want to spoil for you. This is really a one of a kind sensory experience that will linger."

Sarah-Jane Meredith, Manager, UK Wide Audiences at the BFI said: 

"We are proud to support this highly creative multi-sensory VR experience and particularly the team's commitment to ensuring events are as accessible as possible. ‘Beats has the potential to reach a wide range of audiences right across the UK, including many who may not have engaged with VR. As well as thrilling new audiences, the project sets out to create a legacy at participating venues, as their staff will be better skilled and equipped to showcase other VR work in the future. All of which chimes with the ambition set out in our current strategy, Screen Culture 2033, to support the evolution of broader screen work in the UK."