Action For Humanity
Opening the world’s eyes with refugee VR experience for Action For Humanity.
Client
Action for Humanity
Industry
Charity
Services
VR / Immersive
We partnered with Action For Humanity, a global NGO headquartered in Salford, to create an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience called ‘Through My Eyes’. With the increasing number of refugees worldwide – a statistic that now exceeds 1% of the global population, according to Action For Humanity – the need to raise awareness and shift public perceptions has never been more urgent.
The reasons for this displacement are varied, ranging from civil and international wars to food insecurity and the growing effects of climate change. Our objective was to help Action For Humanity communicate this complex reality to a global audience, while driving donations and inspiring policy change through immersive storytelling.
The challenge.
The core aim of ‘Through My Eyes’ was to offer an unparalleled opportunity for people to experience the plight of refugees firsthand. By leveraging the emotional power of VR, we sought to not only change public perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers and challenge the negative stigma that surrounds displaced individuals across the globe but also to help drive fundraising efforts and give Action For Humanity a tool to lobby governments and demand much-needed policy change.
Creative concept and narrative development.
To achieve these goals, we created a deeply personal narrative that followed the journey of a single family as they transitioned from their normal lives into the harsh reality of becoming refugees. This approach allowed users to feel the emotional weight of displacement, helping them understand the traumatic upheavals and challenges faced by millions worldwide.
We developed detailed storyboards and a comprehensive script that described the unfolding events, ensuring that the client could clearly visualise the user journey from start to finish. Every scene was meticulously designed to evoke empathy and foster a visceral connection to the refugee experience.
Immersive design and animation.
One of the most critical aspects of the project was bringing the refugee family to life through character design and animation. We crafted each character with careful attention to their emotions, expressions and interactions. This gave them a sense of humanity and realism, encouraging the audience to resonate with their struggles on a deeper level.
To heighten the immersion, we designed intricate CGI environments that reflected the real-world settings where many refugees find themselves, from war-torn cities to overcrowded camps. We paired this visual realism with an evocative sound design that captured every nuanced moment, whether it was the sound of explosions and gunfire in the distance, the murmur of anxious crowds or the quiet moments of fear within the family.
VR build and deployment.
The entire VR experience was built for the Meta Quest headsets, ensuring portability and ease of use for the client. This allowed Action For Humanity to take the experience on the road, showcasing it at events and gatherings to generate engagement and drive policy advocacy. The accessibility of the technology ensured that the VR experience could be set up and experienced by a wide audience, whether in intimate meetings with policymakers or at large-scale public events.
The results.
Since its launch, ‘Through My Eyes’ has been a resounding success. Action For Humanity has already used the VR experience as an educational tool at universities, fundraisers and international conferences across the UK. It was also shown at SEDA conference, where it received praise from the leader of the SNP, and taken to universities across Turkey where influencers had their reactions filmed to increase publicity. Plans are now in place to take the experience to more events and countries around the world.
Ultimately, ‘Through My Eyes’ is more than just a VR experience – it’s a powerful tool for empathy-building and advocacy, aimed at shifting the global conversation around refugees and asylum seekers while driving meaningful action. We’ve loved working on it and can’t wait to see what it can help Action For Humanity to achieve.