Between Digital and Physical Worlds: artists reimaging reality

About the event

Step into the world of immersive arts – where creativity met cutting-edge technology and audiences became part of the action.

This inspiring evening explored how art is being reimagined in bold, interactive ways, while making it more inclusive and accessible.

Attendees joined a lively panel discussion hosted by Verity McIntosh with Tessa Ratuszynska, Tosin Olufon, and Dr Kerryn Wise, hearing how projects were made, what they meant, and why they mattered.

• Tessa Ratuszynska is a Glasgow-based artist and producer whose XR work explores sexuality, consent, and queer identity through co-design and care-focused practices.
• Tosin Olufon is an immersive artist and researcher using VR and 3D animation to reimagine cultural stories and evoke emotional connections between audiences and narratives.
• Dr Kerryn Wise is a researcher and artist investigating how immersive technologies reshape dance, performance, and audience experience.

The evening concluded with an open audience Q&A and post-event networking over refreshments. It was perfect for anyone curious about the future of the arts—whether an artist, tech enthusiast, or simply looking for something different to do in Bristol.

Being Human Festival

This event was part of the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, which took place 6–15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

About Verity

Verity McIntosh is Director and Principal Investigator of Immersive Arts, a £6m UK-wide programme of research, training, funding and events, supporting over 200 artists to engage with immersive technologies. Funding for Immersive Arts is provided through a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).

Verity is Associate Professor of Virtual and Extended Realities at the University of the West of England where she founded one of Europe's first dedicated XR masters programmes. Through her research she works collaboratively with creative practitioners, companies, communities, policymakers and governments around the world. Her work has been discussed in the UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords, EU Parliament, Council of Europe and in multiple print and media contexts. Current research interests include inclusive and accessible experience design in XR, the ethics of virtual presence, and the role of human rights in multi-person, spatial computing paradigms.