The programme will focus on physical and mental health, as well as healing and relaxation, looking at the role of interactive digital narratives (IDN), as well as the significance, responsibility and application options of the Metaverse and VR in various areas of healthcare. 

“I think it’s important to help the audience of Zip-Scene learn about complex subjects and social issues from as many perspectives as possible. People can generally relate the most to issues affecting them, which is only natural. However, to understand highly complex current global issues, it is best to explore it thoroughly, as interactively as possible rather than looking at a single aspect. VR technology is a superb tool for that, and other interactive digital narratives such as video games and AR applications can also be extremely helpful, provided they were developed with the right level of care”, says founder and main organiser of Zip-Scene conference Ágnes Karolina Bakk. 

The main focuses of the conference will also include the Metaverse. Though not (yet) been realised, and having no universally shared vision around it, it proves to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for linking the analogue and the virtual. The projects of the invited speakers can help explore potential scenarios of the unfolding of the Metaverse phenomenon – what will it be like, who will it belong to, how can it be more democratic, how will it affect various areas of our lives, including the day-to-day experience, healthcare, art or culture? 

 
Zip-Scene is the only conference in Hungary that provides a comprehensive overview of international activity in the VR scene and digital storytelling. The fourth event this year will be the most varied, educational and informal, in part due to the collaboration with Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. Return visitors – speakers and members of the audience alike – are proof that the relevance of VR has not diminished in recent years, on the contrary. 

On the first two days of the conference, 20-minute talks will be delivered by each of the over 30 researchers. Thematic blocks will include the following subjects: health and interactive storytelling; embodying new technologies, virtual realisation; the relationship between social genders and digital representation; performativity and the theatre as they relate to interactive digital narratives; and designing the Metaverse from multidisciplinary aspects. 

The third day (Saturday) will feature a series of workshops, such as media psychologist and teacher of the HKU University Chris Roth on grief processing and interactive storytelling, Serbian cinematographer and teacher of the Belgrade Film School on volumetric technology, and Finnish performance artist Samee Haapala on the immersive theatrical experience.   

Zip-Scene conference is co-organised by Zip-Scene blog and Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. The event is sponsored by the International Visegrad Fund, the National Cultural Fund and Finnagora. 

Season passes, daily passes and workshop passes are available on TIXA: link. 

Facebook event: here. 

Website of the conference: zip-scene.mome.hu 
You can register to workshops through the individual Facebook events or the website of the event.