The Experience Drop #7

EXPERIENCE NEWS: THE INAUGURAL WORLD EXPERIENCE SUMMIT ??

Welcome to a World Experience Organization first.

(Scratch that – a world first.)

The Original. Inaugural.

World Experience Summit 2023.

TED started as a one-off. SXSW began as a regional gig.

For our first annual real-world gathering, we're going global.

This June, Experience Economy pioneers from around the world – and across all experience sectors – will gather in London to define the future of experiences.

Together they'll connect, learn, share, and lead the Experience Revolution.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you the latest about what’s on, who’ll be there, and why you should be, too.?

Will you be one of the originals at the inaugural World Experience Summit?

(Already got your ticket? Let others know in the comments below… ??)

EXPERT INSIGHT: THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF ROLE-LESS ROLEPLAY ??

Immersive experiences are often intended to draw us so completely into a fictional environment that we forget that there’s an outside world.

However, forgetting ourselves in an immersive experience means we must “come back” to ourselves at the end, begging the question: who were we when we were in-world?

Playmaker Jessica Creane explores what it means to have a clear “role” in playable experiences and what happens when that role is to be… you. After all, we often think that in order to immerse people, we need to look to story, narrative or technology – but what’s more immersive than thinking about who you are?

At a time when we’re trying to put meaning back into the world, Creane’s work on “role-less roleplay” resonates. Using playfulness in this way not only unlocks our creativity, it also allows us to think about difficult, “heady” topics. The things that we’re most serious about are those that we should also be most playful about, as this approach allows us to grasp new possibilities.

EXPERIENCE TREND: ANALOGUE EXPERIENCES FOR DIGITAL TIMES ???

Are you part of the Luddite club?

While recent advances in technology have made our lives more streamlined and efficient, increased screen time and exposure to social media is taking its toll on our mental health.

Keen to rage against the machine, anti-tech groups that champion analogue pursuits are popping up among Gen Z consumers, who are keen to disconnect from the white noise in order to enjoy more IRL experiences.

The trend isn’t limited to teenagers – cartographers are seeing a surge in interest in printed maps, as travellers yearning for a return to simpler times seek to recapture the sense of adventure that a paper map and the open road bring.

Meanwhile, the thirst for visceral, offline experiences is also leading foodies to seek out ever more extreme dining excursions, with remote restaurants that can only be accessed by boat proving to be the ultimate pilgrimage.

EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITY: AMPLIFYING BLACK STORYTELLERS ????

A successful Experience Economy does not exist without diverse voices.

The Black Immersive Creators Grant is led by an awesome team of artists who are promoting equity and diverse representation in the immersive community.

Their goal is to "amplify Black voices in the immersive community, to encourage Black artists to live out their dreams by creating immersive works, and to affect culture in a way that opens minds, as well as inspires future creators to do the same for generations to come."

Through work like this grant, they are building a community where all creators can see their work come to life, and stories that build a more robust and profound community are created.

Last year, the Black Immersive Creators Grant awarded $10,000 to its inaugural grant recipient, the amazing Black Feast. The deadline for submissions this year is April 30. Submit your idea now.

(Thanks to Leah Ableson and Justin Stucey for sharing ??)

DEEP DIVE: HOW THE ARTS TRANSFORM US ??

We are standing on the verge of a cultural shift in which the arts can deliver potent, accessible, proven health benefits to millions of people.?

That’s the message of the new book Your Brain On Art by Susan Magsamen , Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Ivy Ross , VP of Design for Hardware Product Area at Google. In this week’s #WXOCampfire, they shared how experience designers have a key, very meaningful part to play in this shift.

Top takeaways ahead of the full write-up:

• Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we’re actually feeling creatures that think – and who experience over 34,000 different feelings.
• The emerging field of neuroaesthetics is the study of how arts and aesthetics measurably change our brains and bodies, and how these can be translated into practices to help our beings.
• Your body, not just your brain, takes in the outside world – we’re only conscious of about 5% of our mental activity.
• Several regions of the brain help us determine what’s salient. The default mode network forms the neurological basis of the self: it’s where we make meaning, find patterns, and make sense of the world and what’s beautiful to us. It’s the reason that we are our experiences.
• The more you can enact the sensory systems, the more memorable and impactful your experiences will be.

Join us for our final Campfire of the season next Tuesday 28 March, when artistic director Joanna Bucknall will be exploring The Ethics Of Care In Intimate Experiences.

Have you got an experience, case study, or opinion to share? Tell us about it in the comments!

(And remember to subscribe to this newsletter! It's every Thursday!)