Generation Wild
Stand + Stare
Immersive experience design for seven WWT wetlands centres across the UK
Generation Wild
Made by
Barney Heywood
Barney is Co-Director of Stand + Stare, who develop innovative and beautifully-crafted ways to share stories that combine digital and physical experiences.
Lucy Telling
Lucy is Co-Director of Stand + Stare, creating interactive installations, exhibitions and performances.Working with
Jazlyn Pinckney
My work centres on implementing + evaluating thoughtful inclusion strategies to deliver impactful cultural and institutional change.45,000 school children will follow the journey of Ava the Osprey after meeting her in a giant nest. They’ll undertake nature activities using magical ‘Translatorphones’ on our bespoke trail and continue participating back home, and at school, via the Generation Wild website.
The experience begins in school with an interactive story book, where Ava the Osprey becomes part-girl after landing in a mystery nest.
When the school children visit their local WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) centre, they meet Ava in her giant nest and explore the wetlands using Ava’s magical Translatorphones. A Translatorphone is an audio device that lets them listen to the voices of birds, amphibians and mammals, who tell them more about Ava and what her mission is.
After their initial visit to WWT, the children are invited back to their local wetland centre with a free ticket for their whole family. Together they explore more of the Generation Wild trail and do more nature activities, which they can continue at home.
The rest of Ava’s story unfolds on the Generation Wild website via audio bulletins, illustrations and animation. The website also houses 50 nature activities for children and their families to do in their local environment, each one winning them a badge and nudging them closer to becoming a Guardian of the Wild.
The whole concept is based on the Five pathways to nature research, which shows that people are more likely to care for the environment if they are inspired by beauty, meaning, compassion and engaged with all their senses and emotions. The project will target schools with higher percentages of children receiving free school meals, aiming to provide greater access to the wetlands for those from disadvantaged communities.
As Creative directors on the project, Stand + Stare worked with a wide range of affiliates to deliver the multi-faceted components of this immersive experience, including puppet makers, carpenters, metal workers, illustrators, animators, creative technologists, basket makers, web designers, sound designers, voice over artists, diversity consultants and more...
