"zaVRoty" Festival was born from my long-standing fascination with the possibilities of virtual reality (VR) technology, a childhood wonder: sincere, perhaps (still) naive at times, but always full of questions and curiosity about new things. I dreamed of demonstrating that VR isn't just about games or 360-degree films, and that this technology can be an excellent tool for telling a wide variety of stories, including those that pose difficult questions. I wanted to encourage people to discover that VR also creates interesting documentaries, fictional stories, and stories with a more theatrical feel – that it's another art medium. I came up with “zaVRoty” because I wanted to share my enthusiasm for the new forms of storytelling that are emerging in this technology and to include in its programme a variety of Polish and foreign productions that address important and current topics – explains Dr Agnieszka Przybyszewska, festival curator and immersive narrative researcher at the University of Lodz.
UniLodz – Science in Dialogue with the City and Culture
From the outset, "zaVRoty" was conceived as an inclusive space for conversations about VR art and learning how to discuss it. The University of Lodz partnership is another step towards an open university that, through cooperation with the creative sector, shares research results in an accessible format and encourages conversations about new media. As part of the event, the local community, including our academic community, can meet VR creators and researchers, experience carefully curated works, and jointly reflect on the social dimension of immersive storytelling.
Programme: One VR work per weekend
The festival takes place over five weekends (Friday–Sunday) from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. One VR work is presented each weekend. A free ticket is required for viewing. Artist meet-and-greets are held on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and feature live translation (PL/EN).
Schedule:
- 9 – 11 January 2026: “The Choice” (parts 1–3) – Joanna Popińska, Tom C. Hall, duration: 3 × approx. 30 min (separate slots can be booked); topics: abortion, dialogue between perspectives
- 16 – 18 January 2026: “Emperor” – Marion Burger, Ilan Cohen; duration: 40 min.; topics: aphasia, body as a narrative interface
- 23 – 25 January 2026: “Darkening” – Ondřej Moravec; duration: approx. 30 min.; topics: depression, voice as a tool of interaction
- 30 January – 01 February 2026: “TTurbulence: Jamais Vu” – Ben J. Andrews, Emma Roberts; duration: approx. 15 min.; topics: vestibular migraine, mixed reality, and installation scenography
- 6 – 8 February 2026: “Conversations” – Jacek Nagłowski; duration: approx. 30 min.; topics: human-AI dialogue, cinematic VR narrative
Participation in all the events (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) is free. Participants must be 13+. Materials from the festival events will be recorded and made available online, along with interviews and excerpts from an open access (OA) book collecting analyses of the presented works.
Organisers:
- Curator of the festival: Dr Agnieszka Przybyszewska (University of Lodz)
- Producer of the festival: Virtual Horizons Foundation, headed by Joanna Popińska and Tom C. Hall.
More information: “zaVRoty Festival”.
Source, graphics: “zaVRoty” Festival
Edit: Agata Dawidowicz, Centrum Współpracy z Otoczeniem i Społecznej Odpowiedzialności Uczelni
