Immersive Experience

Ambitious immersive experiences with local communities at the centre.

At Breaking Barriers, we work directly with communities to uncover the stories that live in their streets, their histories and their everyday lives, and we bring those stories to life in the spaces communities call home.

Our immersive experiences combine binaural sound, projection, live performance, archival film and physical installation to create ambitious, deeply personal work that increases pride in place and gives communities the opportunity to see themselves reflected in extraordinary creative work.

Every project begins with listening. We embed ourselves in a community, gather voices and build something together that could not exist anywhere else. The result is an experience that is as unique as the place it comes from and the people who made it.

Stories we tell Rochdale-9

Stories We Tell: Rochdale

An immersive nighttime walk transforming streets and buildings into a living storybook through binaural sound, film, projections and the real voices of local residents. Returned for a second edition as part of the Greater Manchester Town of Culture 25-26 programme.
Unlocked-Gosport

Unlocked

Presented at Gosport’s Fort Brockhurst; the walls of a historic keep brought to life with film and soundscape, surfacing the voices of Gosport's young people and shining a light on a much-loved heritage site.
Elevation by Breaking Barriers

Elevation

An immersive journey along the scenic route of Blackstone Edge, using binaural sound, to tell tales of those who walked this land before us.

HOW WE MAKE IT

We work with communities, partners and organisations to tell local stories in ambitious, high quality ways.
Every project begins with collaboration where we spend time on the ground meeting residents, community groups and local artists, listening to stories before we create. The stories, voices and memories we gather then shape the whole immersive experience.

Who we work with

Every community has a story worth telling.

We work with local authorities, cultural organisations and community groups who want to celebrate a specific place or a community in a way that is ambitious and reaches people who might not typically engage with arts and culture.

If you have a community, a place or a story and you want to bring it to life in a way that people will not forget, we would love to hear from you.

Working with Breaking Barriers was a pleasure. The impact of the ‘Stories We Tell’ intervention in Nelson is still being talked about today. The team of practitioners were excellent and worked with our local participants with care and flexibility capturing a series of amazing unique stories. The quality of the experience was of a high standard with multiple installations in the terraced streets of Nelson all transforming our local environment for lasting memories. We would recommend this experience to anyone and as a collaborator they are up there with many we have had.

Paul Hartley
Organisation and Engagement, In-Situ

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Immersive Experiences

We co-create immersive experiences with local communities, bringing stories, heritage and public spaces to life.

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Filmmaking

We produce high-quality films that document impact, capture projects and campaigns, and tell stories with care and creative ambition.
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Theatre in Education

We create and deliver programmes that use the power of live performance to open up vital conversations with young people on the issues that affect them.
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Talent Development

We develop the next generation of creative talent, offering structured pathways, paid opportunities and ongoing mentoring to early-career creatives from the communities we work in.
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