Titanic: 'Our virtual reality experience allows you to step aboard historic ship in Leeds'
It is still one of the most iconic names in modern history. A ship that would go on to capture the imagination of film and media for generations. Through an imperfect blend of glamour, decadence, and tragedy, the infamous story of the Titanic remains etched in our culture and memory.
Well over 100 years on from the fateful night of April 15, 1912, the remnants of the vessel still lie at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. At the time, the ship was the biggest ever built; a beacon of luxury and technological advancements.
It seems appropriate, then, that the latest rendition of such a fabled tale takes on a very modern twist. Titanic: A Voyage Through Time is an immersive virtual reality experience opening today in Leeds, offering the chance to journey into the past to explore the ship in all its grandeur.
There’s also the chance to ‘experience’ a dive below the ocean’s surface to see the wreck of the Titanic as it now looks today.
Ben Taylor is the Regional Manager at Fever – the global live entertainment discovery platform behind the experience. “We use a combination of cutting-edge VR technology and rich storytelling to create this immersive adventure,” he says. “So attendees will feel like they are stepping aboard the Titanic."
People are given a ‘boarding pass’ upon arrival and set foot on the doomed voyage. “It is very uniquely interactive,” Ben says. “You're able to walk down the iconic grand staircase, explore the lavish dining rooms and cabins and interact with historical figures who've shaped the legacy of the ship. You're able to unpack your luggage, indulge in food from the kitchens and even throw coal into the fire to power the ship.”
The remarkable level of detail from both the ship and the shipwreck took months to attain. Divers and historians, working in conjunction with global exhibitions company Musealia, gave expert oversight on the more intricate details.
“Musealia is one of the world's foremost promoters and producers of immersive historical exhibitions,” Ben says. “We worked very closely with them to ensure that every element of the experience that we've produced is accurate to what happened all those years ago.”
Of course, no Titanic experience would be complete without maybe the most famous part of the story – the iceberg. Ben explains that although the huge chunk of ice that brought down the mighty vessel is part of the experience, it won’t leave a room full of traumatised visitors crashing into each other whilst trying to remove their headsets.
“We all know how the story ends,” Ben says. “It is a wow moment when you see that, but you aren’t on the ship. You do get to witness it as part of the experience, but fortunately from a safe distance.”
Leeds is the seventh city to hold ‘Titanic: A Voyage Through Time’, which is already running in cities such as Los Angeles, Melbourne and Rome. The exhibition opens at Broad Gate, The Headrow, today.
For tickets, visit titanicexperiencevr.com/leeds