Connectivity was hindered during COVID-19 and StGiles is hoping its latest investment in virtual reality will safeguard its community's connectivity in future and prepare its actors for a tour.
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The organisation's Studio Space Theatre Company will use VR headsets to continue rehearsals virtually, if restrictions are reintroduced, and to prepare the actors for a future tour.
The headsets were funded by a grant through the RACT Insurance COVID-19 Community Support Fund. So far three sets have been purchased with more on back order.
SSTC artistic director Gerard Lane said the group was hoping to take its latest project, Project Vulcan, to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival when borders reopened.
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He said the technology would allow the group to get tour ready by virtually visiting some of the places first.
"[We] continued to run arts programs for participants in 2020 online, as restrictions on indoor gatherings meant classes could no longer be delivered face to face," he said.
"We've been looking at different ways, different technologies that we can use to continue delivering arts programs to people with disabilities.
Actor Sarah Squires tried the VR headset and said it was fantastic. Fellow actor George Van Dijk said the technology was pretty good.
Mr Lane said VR was an exciting tool and would ensure the actors were tour ready by getting them used to new environments, such as Scotland.
"We're just trying to offer that connection with our community and finding new ways to connect," he said.
"One thing that we do at StGiles is a social story. It's a series of pitches to kind of get people used to an environment and this is another way we can take people through a social story of getting people used to an environment.
"We're trying to train our actors up to tour and so there's an app on the [headset] that you can travel to Scotland, by not even leaving home and walk the streets and see where everything is."
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