During their stay in Surrey project partners will have the opportunity to learn about the potential for digital realities in the visitor, countryside and heritage sectors. They will also meet national and local stakeholders to exchange experience and learning on different practices and policies.
There will be an official welcome to Surrey by Michael More-Molyneux, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey. Michael has lived in the county all his life; his family have been there for five centuries.
Day 1 will be hosted at the Surrey History Centre in Woking which collects and preserves the records of Surrey's past and present, documenting the story of the county and its people from the 12th century to the 21st century. Julian Pooley, Phil Cooper and Haidee Thomas will outline the potential to use augmented reality to enable visitors to learn more and access the archives.
Chris Howard, the Chairman of Visit Surrey will provide an overview of the Surrey visitor experience including a video of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. David Greenwood from Surrey County Council will provide an overview of the ‘Culture is Digital’ Strategy and a range of digital initiatives from around the UK. Vincent O’Connell will outline the Coast to Capital ESIF Strategy.
Dafydd Thomas from the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff will describe the background to, experience of and learning from their Museum ExplorAR project. This will be followed by a Joint Dissemination Workshop and Networking Reception.
Day 2 will be hosted at Surrey University and Watts Gallery. The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management are leading internationally ground breaking work on digital technologies in the tourism sector. Professor Caroline Scarles, Dr Matthew Casey and colleagues will discuss augmented reality and next generation technologies in the visitor experience.
Watts Gallery is a purpose-built art gallery created to display the works of the great Victorian artist G F Watts. Watts holds a unique position within British art, as he found critical acclaim in his own time and was admired by his fellow artists, both at home and abroad. Dr Tessa Kilgarriff and staff will outline their experiences and learning from piloting augmented reality.
The day will conclude at The Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking is one of the most exciting cultural spaces in the south east, with three stunning galleries hosting a huge range of exhibitions.
Day 3 will include a Technical Meeting and Steering Group.
Over the three days, the partners will have the chance to meet and exchange views with local stakeholders.
The event is open to project partners and by invitation.
