RCA GRADUATES MAKE WAVES WITH IMMERSIVE WHALE EXPERIENCE

Graduates from the Royal College of Art (RCA) White City are making a splash in the world of immersive storytelling. Deep Dive XR, the name of their collective, is the creativity behind ‘Whale Fall’ – a unique project encompassing a powerful virtual reality (VR) experience and a gripping 360-degree documentary that’s turning the tide on plastic pollution awareness.

Designed to showcase the awe-inspiring beauty of whales while highlighting the devastating impact of ocean plastic, ‘Whale Fall’ is more than just a digital experience – it’s a rallying cry. The cutting-edge project was completed at RCA White City, home to 700 students and staff and located in White City Place. The world’s leading art and design postgraduate university – with alumni including David Hockney and Tracey Emin – moved its schools of communications and humanities to the White City Campus in 2017.

We spoke with Deep Dive XR’s Armelle Mihailescu, Riya Mahajan, Selin Öztürk and Janmejay Singh, who completed a Digital Direction MA at RCA White City last year, to find out more.

“We decided to address the story in VR since we aim to rely on the transformative power of immersive virtual reality to instil a sense of awe for whales and the marine ecosystem, a concern for their survival and hope that it is still not too late to act.”

Deep Dive XR team, Digital Director MA graduates from the School of Communication at RCA White City

The term ‘Whale Fall’ describes a natural phenomenon in which a whale’s body sinks to the ocean floor after death, creating a crucial deep-sea ecosystem that supports marine life for decades. A new immersive digital project is now exploring this concept, highlighting both the life-giving power of whales and the suffocating impact of plastic waste.

The interactive VR experience – created by a team of Royal College of Art Digital Direction MA students during their course – immerses players underwater in a scene depicting a whale entangled in plastic pollution. Players are encouraged to remove the plastic, witnessing how their actions directly help the marine ecosystem to thrive.

The 360-degree documentary, also best experienced in VR, is a compelling collaboration with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). It explores the real-world impacts of plastic pollution and its harmful effects on whales, supported by compelling real-life stories.

The team explains: “Immersive experiences engage us on a much deeper level – viewers are hyper-focused, not simply passively looking. By giving people a real sense of ‘being there’, with the ability to move ‘physically’ around the space using VR headsets, we can very effectively communicate both the wonder and awe we experience by studying these majestic creatures, and the tragedy of what’s happening in our oceans because of increasing plastic pollution.”

The students have since graduated and their work has been showcased across the UK and in Europe, including at the Outernet Global Now Building, the iconic Television Centre in White City Innovation District and, last year, at the London Breeze Film Festival and IRCAM Forum in Paris. The team was also recently named as a finalist for the prestigious 2024 Terra Carta Design Lab challenge. Launched by His Majesty King Charles III and legendary designer Sir Jony Ive in 2021, the Terra Carta Design Lab recognises the pivotal role that art and design can play in helping to address the climate crisis, partnering with prestigious design schools – including the RCA – to discover student-led, high impact and commercially viable solutions.

Main image 1) The DeepDive XR Team – Janmejay Singh, Armelle Mihailescu, Riya Mahajan and Selin Öztürk; 2) Top left: An image of visitors viewing the ‘Whale Fall’ immersive experience at Outernet Global in London; 3) Screenshots of the interactive environment

For this pioneering design collective, now known as Deep Dive XR, its White City Innovation District roots have been central to its success. The team gained immense value from being based at the White City Campus, from bein able to access The White City Warehouse to host workshops, to relaxing and seeking inspiration at the Japanese Garden of Peace.

Located in White City Place, the RCA’s White City is equipped with state-of-the-art bespoke studio, workshop and technical spaces that have been specifically designed for RCA students. The site adds a new dimension to the College’s cultural offer, with opportunities for collaborations, exhibitions and events.

“White City Innovation District truly fosters creativity,” notes the team. “There are many fascinating digital creative teams in this area, and the connections we’ve established within the RCA and the BBC, both of which are located here, have been crucial in helping us to progress.”

With momentum on its side, the Deep Dive XR team is now looking for funding, technology partners, and a permanent base in White City to expand their outreach. Their next goal involves bringing ‘Whale Fall’ into schools, inspiring the next generation to fight for ocean conservation.

The team concludes: “The White City Innovation District has been the birthplace for our ‘Whale Fall’ project and where our start-up Deep Dive XR was born. It’s inspired us and connected us with the right people. We hope to be permanent residents in the not-too-distant future, surrounded by innovators who are making a tangible difference to building a more sustainable world.”

With their innovative ‘Whale Fall’ VR experience, these RCA graduates are proving that creative storytelling through a digital medium could be a key tool to move the dial on public awareness – and action – on the harms of plastic pollution.

For more information about the ‘Whale Fall’ project, please visit: https://read.cv/deepdive 

Who ARE Deep Dive XR?

DeepDive XR is a venture pioneering the creation and distribution of educational extended reality (XR) experiences focused on addressing the urgent climate crisis. DeepDive XR creates experiences made for efficient climate education, having a big impact on young minds and engaging them to be actors for a positive future. The team distributes them as workshops in schools to educate the younger generation. It also creates bespoke experiences for existing climate actors to spread their message more effectively and intensely to their audiences, ultimately transforming inactive masses into climate allies.