Located in the heart of Cardiff since 2004, the Wales Millennium Centre is Wales’ largest arts centre and one of the UK’s most iconic cultural venues. A theatre, concert hall, exhibition space, and creative hub all in one, it has built a strong reputation for championing innovation in the performing arts and pioneering new forms of storytelling, with a particular focus on immersive technologies.
David Massey, Senior Producer for Creative Technology and Storytelling, is at the forefront of these developments. A recognised figure in the immersive sector, he has curated bold and forward-thinking programmes that have positioned Wales Millennium Centre as a major destination for XR and immersive narrative works. He also spearheaded the creation of Bocs, a space entirely dedicated to immersive content, launched in 2022. Through this initiative, he is committed to introducing innovative formats to wider audiences while supporting international artists and studios in showcasing and distributing their work.
Could you introduce the Wales Millennium Centre and your role within it?
David Massey – I’m a Senior Producer and Curator with a specialism in Creative Technology and Storytelling. I work at Wales Millennium Centre, where we have been a home for immersive experiences for the past three years. What does that mean? It means that as an arts centre based in Wales, we work with studios and international artists to present interactive and immersive led works utilising spaces across our venue, that includes a dedicated space known as Bocs.
The Wales Millennium Centre features an immersive programme: what types of works do you present, and what are your main selection criteria — thematically and technically? What role does XR play within this programming?
D. M. – XR plays a huge role within our programming. Arguably, we’ve become a destination for showcasing virtual reality and mixed reality works. We’re genuinely excited about the range of stories and formats that are being created using game engines and emerging technology. The main works we present in the space are always narrative-driven, often created in mixed reality, augmented reality, or virtual reality. We’ve built a reputation as a space that advocates for this kind of work, and we’re excited about how this will naturally point to new ways of exploring performance, art and story designed experiences.
D. M. – To date we have been fairly open quite with some of the experiences we present. Often, we align our immersive programme with other activities happening across the building. For example, we recently presented “Impulse: Playing with Reality” by Anagram, co-produced by Floréal & France Télévisions, a piece exploring ADHD. Alongside that, in our main café area, we collaborated with our community team to exhibit artworks created by neurodiverse prisoners. So, there’s often a connection between different aspects of the building’s programme. But ultimately, our main criteria is that the work provides a platform for new or unheard voices, tells a strong story, and uses immersive technology in a compelling way.
Could you share a few examples of immersive or XR works you have programmed in the past? This summer, you’re presenting the VR experience Monsieur Vincent — what drew you to this piece, and why did you choose to include it in your programme?
D. M. – Arguably we’ve presented some of the best immersive works the world has to offer. Collaborating with the heavy weights of the immersive industry that creators such as Anagram, A-Bahn, Blast Theory, East City Films, Novaya along with indepdent artists and studios keen to get their work to a mass audience. Alongside this we have good relationships with distributors, such as Astrea and have supported them in the past particularly with their LBE strategy.
D. M. – As for “Monsieur Vincent” by Agnès Molia & Gordon (coproduced by Lucid Realities, TSVP, Musée d’Orsay & VIVE Arts), we are always looking for works that can be as accessible as possible to a wide audience. “Monsieur Vincent” is a beautiful piece that I believe will spark interest among an intergenerational audience, particularly because of its connection to Van Gogh. Of course, Van Gogh has already inspired a number of immersive experiences worldwide, but this one feels unique. The narrative is at the heart of it — it feels like a beautiful interactive love letter to Van Gogh, focusing on the story of one of the last people he painted. What makes it special is how audiences are invited into his world, stepping into the paintings and interacting with them. I’m really excited to see how people engage with the work. We will also be using the presentation as an opportunity to introduce audiences to wider programme which will include lesser-known immersive works they might not have encountered otherwise.
In 2022, you launched Bocs, a space entirely dedicated to immersive and XR works. Could you tell us more about this venue, its design, and how you addressed the technical and accessibility challenges in its conception?
D. M. – Bocs emerged from conversations I was having with studios and artists devoted to immersive and interactive media as a means of expression. — many of whom struggled to present their work outside of film festivals. There was clearly a need for an arts institution like ours to provide a space where we could collaborate closely with artists to present their work to the public in the way that meets their ambition and intended audience. That was the starting point for Bocs.
D. M. – When designing Bocs, we consulted extensively with inter disciplinary artists working with new forms of creative technology . A common thread was we needed to create a flexible space that could adapt and respond to rapidly evolving technologies used in storytelling. So, we built what is essentially a black box, allowing us to refine and adapt the space over time in constant dialogue with the needs of the artist. With each presentation , we create a bespoke installation for it, ensuring the space is tailored and responds to the conversation around the work.
D. M. – We’re currently exploring ways we can expand our offer by taking over adjacent retail units to further support the wider sector and the appetite to display their work through a curated programme. While there have been challenges — particularly around presenting immersive works in a day-to-day exhibition format — I’ve seen how much progress artists have made in considering both the technical presentation and accessibility. We pay close attention to how audiences move through the space and engage with the work, making sure we address accessibility challenges, which are still significant in the XR sector.
How does your immersive programming — and more broadly, your ambition to integrate digital formats — align with the rest of the Centre’s offer, particularly its live productions ? Have you been able to create meaningful connections between the physical and the virtual?
D. M. – As an organisation that produces and supports artists to create new work, we’re always thinking about ambitious ways to support new formats of performance and art. Artists naturally seek new tools and story driven forms and immersive technologies are a prime example. We’re increasingly exploring how to integrate immersive formats within our broader programme. For example: We support research and development residencies for artists, and we’re looking at how we can introduce them to these tools during the early stages of their creative practice. Ultimately, our ambition is to develop hybrid productions that combine form and technologies in a way that best serves the story being told. To support that, we’re building a new, larger space across the road from the Wales Millennium Centre. This will host more commercial live and immersive experiences, alongside an experimental studio space dedicated to exploring emerging technologies like XR.
D. M. – Creating meaningful connections between the physical and virtual is an ongoing journey. We work hard to achieve that in Bocs, often collaborating with brilliant designers to create a physical environment that sets the tone before audiences even put on a headset. Personally, I don’t like the terms “onboarding” or “offboarding” — for me, it’s important to have a holistic approach that serves the needs of the audience. We train our staff to be an integral part of the audience experience, ensuring that people feel comfortable and a sense of togetherness, which is an important step as many of our visitors come alone. Creating accessible, welcoming spaces where audiences are encouraged to interact with staff and each other is essential to making the experience memorable and inclusive.
You’ve stated that “exploring new forms of storytelling will enable more people to connect with stories in new and different ways.” How do immersive experiences contribute to your audience development and diversification strategy?
D. M. – Immersive experiences have played a huge role in attracting new and more diverse audiences. We’ve already gathered some really interesting data over the past three years since launching Bocs. For example, around 29% of visitors to Bocs had never entered the building before we launched our immersive programme, which is deemed by many as a success. We’ve also seen encouraging signs of diversification in our audience — especially a shift in gender balance and an increase in visitors from Black and Asian communities. So, it’s clear that the immersive programme is a clear invitation for so many.
D. M. – I think audiences are naturally evolving — younger generations are exploring new ways of consuming performance, art, and technology. These new forms of storytelling, which are often deeply personal and interactive, resonate with them. In many immersive works, the audience becomes an active participant in the storytelling process, which adds another layer of engagement and connection that traditional formats sometimes lack.
Speaking of the inclusive potential of XR, could you tell us more about your partnership with the Ida Network? Looking ahead, do you plan to develop further collaborations related to the XR sector?
D. M. – One of the wonderful things about this industry is the strength of the community. It’s a highly connected, international network, which is fantastic. It’s also an open, inclusive industry that genuinely tries to support artists experimenting with creative expression and technology. Building strong partnerships and collaborations is central to our work — and Ida Network is a perfect example of that.
D. M. – We’re focused on building community — around our spaces, around making work, and around the conversations that this work generates. IDA has been instrumental in that. Working with the amazing team — Léah,Victoria, and our Welsh team Abi and Beau — have introduced us to artists we didn’t even know existed, artists exploring new ideas and technologies. Ida also plays a vital role in addressing the historical gender imbalance in the industry, creating space for women, non-binary, and trans people to feel comfortable engaging with other creators.
D. M. – I’m really excited about the potential collaborations that could emerge from this network. I’m proud to be an ally and fully support the incredible work Ida is doing. We’re always keen to work with other organisations to support the next generation of creators and the future of XR and story driven design.