Playing the News: Coventry Blitz VR

10.00am – 12.00pm and 1.00pm – 3.00pm

The Blitz of Coventry by the Luftwaffe on 14 November 1940 destroyed Coventry Cathedral and changed the face of the city. Its impact is still felt today.

Playing the News: Coventry Blitz VR aims to bring the experience alive for visitors to the Herbert with this very special public event. As part of a Google Digital News Initiative-funded research project to explore the use of virtual reality and gamification in journalism, Coventry University and the Coventry Telegraph have developed a virtual reality game and story experience themed around the Coventry Blitz.

This game experience takes users into the Coventry Cathedral on the night of the Blitz and puts the user in the position of a firefighter trying to put out the blaze. The story experience takes users into a shelter where they have the opportunity to hear the story of Jean, a Coventry Blitz survivor. 

Free | Drop in

This experience is suitable for adults and children 10 years and above. This video may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy, audience discretion is advised.Visitors will be asked to complete a survey on their experience, but participation is completely voluntary.

The project was developed as a collaboration between Coventry University’s School of Media and the Performing Arts, the Coventry Telegraph, Coventry University’s Centre for Excellence in Learning Enhancement (CELE) and Birmingham City University. The team used archival images from the Coventry Telegraph to 3D model the Coventry Cathedral for the VR simulation. Archive material from the Coventry Telegraph was integrated throughout the game play.