Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
A new perspective
Augmented and virtual exploration of Dundee
THINK you know Dundee inside-out? The city’s stories, its people (some of them famous, some less so) and its history?
According to the creators of StoryTrails, an “immersive storytelling experience” running on Thursday and Friday, there’s a “completely new way” to experience Dundee and its “untold stories” through what they describe as the “magic” of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
For starters there’s an AR trail you can access via mobile phone that explores the stories of legendary boxer Dick McTaggart and swimmer Sarah “Cissie” Stewart, two working-class Dundonians who defied expectations to become Olympic heroes.
There’s also an interactive cultural map of Dundee that tells the tales of a “diverse” group of Dundonians including “Scotland’s coolest optician” Richard Cook who owns Spex Pistols, folk singer Sheena Wellington who’s keeping the music sung in the jute mills alive for future generations, and skater “Shep” who waxes lyrical about the strong skateboarding and graffiti community in the city.
Visitors can also use VR headsets from the Central Library to experience “rich virtual worlds” across a variety of themes.
That’s not all – there’s a showcase of 3D scans of Dundee’s beloved buildings and iconic places from established landmarks like the jute mills to local favourites including Spex Pistols and Dudhope Skatepark.
Duncan Cowles and Neil Cullen, the Dundee-based creatives working on the project, used Local and Community History Month to shine a spotlight on
“exciting developments” well underway locally.
The duo uncovered a myriad of stories and personalities across Dundee, highlighting the city’s diverse and unique community – and through the latest multimedia technologies they are enabling people to see its past, present and future collide.
“It’s been a great experience working on this project and unearthing hidden stories,” reflects Neil, a spatial storymapper.
“Local History Month is very important but our ambition is that by using new technologies, we can inject a passion for history into people all year round. This project is about encouraging people to reassess what they know and develop new perspectives.
“It’s also about having fun and I really hope people in Dundee will love the footage, pictures and stories we’ve unearthed.”
INTO THE MIX
Alongside interviews with Richard from Spex Pistols, folk singer Sheena and skater Shep, Neil and Duncan chatted to a fascinating mix of
Dundonians. These included a game developer, Stephanie, who believes her education at Abertay University was vital to her future success in the games industry; a young girl, Summer, who’s experienced “adventures” at Broughty Ferry’s Castle Green play park; a baker named Jen who works at Clark’s, a family business with a long history of keeping the city fed; a musician named Jonnie who wrote an album inspired by the McManus Galleries; curator Kirsty at V&A Dundee; two football supporters; and a librarian who is “amazed” by the lasting impact of the comics published by DC Thomson.
“While these stories were highlighted to be included in a short film about the city, we also captured some lesserknown stories and hidden gems,” says Neil.
“We talked to a projectionist at Dundee Contemporary Arts who’s been working there since it opened, as well as Duncan Alexander who runs 71 Brewery, the first brewery in the city for 50 years. Then there’s Molly and Helen, part of Loadsaweeminsinging, who have a special place in their hearts for the music of the late Michael Marra.”
Others they spoke to included Jimmy, who was a booker for the Reading Rooms, a club that was a hub for the city’s counter culture for 20 years; Alan, a third-generation family member of J A Braithwaite, the oldest shop in Dundee (and which sells sensational coffee); Lisa who helped run Outfest, a celebratory festival of queer culture; Louise, who’s fascinated by the vaults underneath the city; a Latvian named Nadia who’s been welcomed to the city’s Mid Craigie; the manager of HMS Unicorn; a country ranger