Bristol Harbour: An Interactive Experience
This ran from 1st-26th April 2009, when Interactive Places cordially invited people to take an interactive stroll around Bristol Docks and become part of a story set in 1885:
Step back in time and get a glimpse of the Victorian docks by embarking upon this amazing adventure. Begin at the Watershed with a handset and headphones, and choose one of two stories to follow.
Through a marvellous mixture of video and audio, the tales unfold as you proceed around the docks – from the Watershed, past the Arnolfini, over Prince Street Bridge, and along to the SS Great Britain.
There you cross the harbour by ferry, and return to the Watershed. You affect the outcome of the story.
Both stories took about 75 minutes. One had a series of tasks to complete in order to help Maude Baxter excape the clutches of her cruel Uncle Lucius and escape on a ship bound for New York to join her sister. The other started with the body of a dead sailor, and the visitor was accused of murder. A Galley Boy then appeared and offered to help clear your name.
Handsets were available from the Watershed, along with a ticket for the cross harbour ferry, which featured in both the stories. They were suitable for ages seven and up, and it was free of charge.
Feedback was hugely positive, with visitors enjoying 'seeing a familiar place in a new light'. One visitor said they 'loved this kind of walking, media-based experience!' while another person particulalry liked 'how it transformed a walk around the docks and allowed you to enter another world' and how it 'got eveyone talking.' Children said they enjoyed 'meeting all the characters', 'playing the games', as well as 'the story and the hands on experience.'