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Diverse, discerning, and culturally engaged When the Immersive Experience Network (IEN) was founded in early 2022, we recognized a significant gap: the lack of research and accessible data to support commercial decisions, develop marketing strategies, and aid funding applications. Whilst the cultural participation monitor collected data for the broader Creative

In recent years, the “immersive” buzzword has been used to describe everything from wildly imaginative live experiences to high-tech toilets. While the word’s effectiveness in marketing has been dwindling from broad-reaching overuse, its importance as a principle of design both within and outside of the entertainment industry cannot be understated.

What are ARGs? Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are interactive networked narratives that use the real world as a platform, often involving multiple types of media and game elements to tell a story that may be affected by the players.  Transmedia storytelling, closely related to ARGs and arguably a key element

What is LARPing? Live Action Role-Playing (LARPing) is an in-person interactive role-playing game where participants physically act out their characters’ actions without a script. Alternative names for LARPing include interactive literature, live role-playing, and immersive role-playing. Each LARP has a theme which provides context for the setting and characters, and

What is a themed attraction? Themed attractions are entertainment venues designed around a specific theme, offering immersive experiences that transport visitors into another place or time. Alternative names for themed attractions might include theme parks, immersive parks, experiential venues, or story-based attractions, and any of these kinds of live experiences

What is immersive audio? Immersive audio is both a sound technology and a kind of content that uses sound to create a deeply engaging and enveloping environment for the listener. It often employs 3D audio techniques and spatial sound design to simulate a realistic or fantastical auditory space, making the

What is location-based VR and AR? Location-Based Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are immersive experiences that combine digital content with the physical world in one way or another.  In the case of location-based VR, this usually means inviting audience members to go to a specific location such as

What is experiential art? Experiential art is a contemporary art form that emphasises direct engagement and interaction between the artwork and its audience. Unlike traditional visual arts, which are often experienced passively through observation, experiential art invites participants to become an integral part of the art itself, often blurring the

What is an escape room? An escape room is an interactive group challenge in which all players are locked in a room, or multiple rooms, and need to work together to get out within a set amount of time.  While virtual escape rooms do exist, live immersive escape rooms are

What is immersive and interactive theatre? Immersive and interactive theatre is a kind of theatrical performance where the traditional physical, psychological or narrative boundaries between performers and audience members are blurred or entirely dissolved.  In this type of theatre, audience members are not passive observers but active participants in the

What are scare attractions? Scare attractions are in-person immersive experiences designed to thrill or terrify visitors. The genre comprises haunted houses and scream parks among other live experiences.  These attractions employ a variety of sensory effects, themed environments, and live actors to create an atmosphere of suspense and fear. Visitors