FOREST KEEP
2064. The height of the energy crisis. Seamless travel between the metaverse and real world is now possible.
Teenagers Amelia & Jason spend most of their time in the virtual forest at Rochester Castle. After a major power outage the pair become stuck in the forest, alongside its AI creatures who are evolving. To get out they must find a way to the castle keep. But what awaits them inside? And what kind of world are they returning to?
Forest Keep is a fictional digital story, currently being developed with young people in Medway. It is set in a future metaverse woodland at the public grounds of Rochester Castle, exploring the idea of ‘home’ amidst the climate crisis. The public will be drawn into an AR story trail via mobile, unravelling an interactive multipath plot leading to the Keep at Rochester Castle.
The story will be accessed by:
People will also be able to access the woodland at home and via VR in libraries. This is to leave their own messages of hope ‘etched’ into digital trees, creating a continually changing ‘live’ landscape.
Concept ideas created so far with young people:
If you are aged XX you can get involved and help us create:
Dates:
John Whall and Adam Glen
Teenagers Amelia & Jason spend most of their time in the virtual forest at Rochester Castle. After a major power outage the pair become stuck in the forest, alongside its AI creatures who are evolving. To get out they must find a way to the castle keep. But what awaits them inside? And what kind of world are they returning to?
Forest Keep is a fictional digital story, currently being developed with young people in Medway. It is set in a future metaverse woodland at the public grounds of Rochester Castle, exploring the idea of ‘home’ amidst the climate crisis. The public will be drawn into an AR story trail via mobile, unravelling an interactive multipath plot leading to the Keep at Rochester Castle.
The story will be accessed by:
- Mobiles - in people’s own time
- Facilitated trails - we will provide devices and accompanying live performers
People will also be able to access the woodland at home and via VR in libraries. This is to leave their own messages of hope ‘etched’ into digital trees, creating a continually changing ‘live’ landscape.
Concept ideas created so far with young people:
- Journey so far
- Carosel
- Sketchfab / Unity.
If you are aged XX you can get involved and help us create:
- 3D models for the woodland
- write parts of the multipath story
- new AI characters.
Dates:
John Whall and Adam Glen
Register your interest
Project film
Acknowledgements
Forest Keep.
2024-5 will see the R&D phase co-creating the story, characters and sets with young people and undertaking audience testing in the castle grounds. The full version will be developed by Electric Medway with a new commissioned soundtrack. By October 2025, during the Electric Medway Festival, we will launch Forest Keep to the public.
Acknowledgements: Forest Keep is part of our wider young people programme Young Hack. This is supported by UKSPF, Arts Council England, Medway Council, Heritage Fund, Henry Smith Charity and Colyer Ferguson Foundation with partner support from Rochester Castle.
2024-5 will see the R&D phase co-creating the story, characters and sets with young people and undertaking audience testing in the castle grounds. The full version will be developed by Electric Medway with a new commissioned soundtrack. By October 2025, during the Electric Medway Festival, we will launch Forest Keep to the public.
Acknowledgements: Forest Keep is part of our wider young people programme Young Hack. This is supported by UKSPF, Arts Council England, Medway Council, Heritage Fund, Henry Smith Charity and Colyer Ferguson Foundation with partner support from Rochester Castle.
