Until Sun 2 Nov
Four stories of people who live with ADHD narrated by Academy Award®winning Tilda Swinton in this multi-award-winning mixed reality experience by Anagram.
Impulse is a window into four distinct experiences of people living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Narrated by Academy Award®winning actor Tilda Swinton, Impulse: Playing with Reality captures both the struggles and the inventiveness that come with ADHD.
Combining sharp-witted gameplay with first-hand lived experience Impulse is an immersive mixed reality encounter with minds that can be exhausting and exhilarating, chaotic and creative.
Four stories from four very real people, reflecting on post-diagnosis life, shining a spotlight onto how ADHD shapes their thoughts, actions, and relationships.
Leanne turns her world into a game to escape boredom.
Omar channels his restless mind into daring, risky heists.
Errol creates a bold, adventurous persona to gain respect.
And Tara is on the brink – of giving up.
This experience contains themes of suicide and violence and is not suitable for children under 12. It includes flashing lights and colours so may not be suitable for those with photosensitive epilepsy.
"We dove into the multifaceted world of ADHD to try and make sense of the chasm between the internal and external experiences of the condition... It's a topic that takes you deep into a world of regret, anger and passion and it has brought out powerful reflections from audiences around the world."
May Abdalla, Anagram
Impulse uses mixed reality – blending the physical and digital – immersing you in very personal narratives.
Experience the intensity, creativity and individuality of each of the four stories. From real people living with ADHD.
Using Meta's Quest 3 VR headset, the experience includes hand held controllers to move virtual items in a game like space, alongside four animated documentary stories. Mixing the virtual and physical space around you.
These stories are at times emotionally intense, reflecting complex and challenging moments from their lives.
After finishing the experience, you are welcome to spend time in the quiet reflection space, looking at comments, documents, images, and other visitors’ responses. You are invited to contribute your own thoughts if you would like to.
Reading material about the creation of the piece by Anagram is also available.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting focus, impulse control, and energy management.
It can look different for everyone — some are restless and constantly seeking stimulation, others quietly struggle with attention and organisation. In England, around 2.5 million people are believed to have ADHD, including many still undiagnosed.
Impulse: Playing with Reality highlights these inner experiences, showing both the challenges and creativity of living with ADHD.
"Anagram’s work centres real-life experience in innovative and truly immersive ways"
Screen Daily
Anagram is an award-winning creative studio specialising in thought-provoking interactive storytelling and immersive experience design.
From meticulously designed theatrical sets to ancient buildings to just anywhere outside in the wild – each piece gets you entangled with a place. Anagram joined the Pervasive Media Studio in 2013.
Winners of The Grand Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival 2021 in the VR section, the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes award, the 2019 Sandbox Immersive Art award, part of the Best VR in 2019 at the Venice International Film Festival. Named in the Createch 100 ones to watch for 2020 by the Creative Industries Council and selected twice for Columbia University’s Digital Dozen Breakthroughs in Digital Storytelling (in 2015 and 2019).
The experience contains bright lights & colours and may trigger those with photosensitive epilepsy.
The environment is lit by coloured light and we have a reflection area if the experience becomes overstimulating.
When you arrive, you enter Undershed's welcome area. A Gallery Assistant will greet you, talk you through what to expect, and answer any questions.
Once inside the main gallery space, the assistant will help you get set up the with the VR headset.
After finishing the experience, you are welcome to spend time in the quiet reflection space, looking at comments, documents, images, and other visitors’ responses.
Our gallery assistants are on hand to help throughout your visit to Undershed.
Please arrive on time for your session or you may not be able to complete the experience within your time slot.
If you are running late, don’t worry. We can hold your spot for up to 10 minutes after your session start time. After that, we won't be able to hold your space as it would delay other visitors. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, just pop over to the box office and they’ll help you swap your ticket for another available session.
If we can do anything to make your visit to Undershed easier, please email us and we'll be happy to help.
There is a maximum capacity of 6 places for the experience in the gallery at any one time, with 3 places bookable every half hour.
The full experience, from arrival to departure, takes around one hour.
We recommend pre-booking in advance online, in person at Box Office or by phone on 0117 927 5100. Any unbooked slots are available for walk up customers to Box Office.
Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, £4 - £12 per person, based on a pay-what-you-can basis. Further details are on our booking pages.
Companion tickets are available for those on our access register.
In the welcome area of Undershed there are spaces to leave your belongings while you are inside the exhibition. A Gallery Assistant will be in this area at all times.
Impulse is a single person mixed-reality experience with a headset, so for this exhibition we are unable to accommodate a parent/guardian who is in sole care of a baby/toddler.
Please do not bring in outside food or drink into Undershed. Watershed Café & Bar is on the first floor for refreshments before and after your visit to Undershed. And in the summer months our Undershed bar opens onto the walkway outside for drinks or ice cream.
You are welcome to use any of the toilet facilities in Watershed then come back into Undershed. However, please note that we will finish your time slot promptly and this may mean curtailing your experience.
Are allowed in Undershed, but please do not take or share images of people without permission whilst they are participating in the work.
Undershed Gallery is located on the ground floor of Watershed – the entrance is to the right of the Box Office desk.
If you haven't been to Watershed before, check out the Watershed Visit page for access, location and transport information.
Please ask the Gallery Assistant if you would like these activated.
Please ask the Gallery Assistant and they will set this up for you.
We have a reflection area where you are invited to sit and respond to the work or just take a quiet time out if you want to. There is seating in both the welcome area and in the exhibition space. There are also yoga mats and blankets if you need to lie down at any point – please speak to a Gallery Assistants if so.
There is no audio description available, and the game relies on sight to move elements inside the virtual space.
This is because the experience is a single person experience.
However, our Gallery Assistants can help you to alter the brightness of the experience if you find it too bright or dark and they can also help you to set a comfortable audio volume if you feel the experience is too loud or quiet.
Also If you would like a tour to familiarise yourself with the environment, then please contact the Undershed team to arrange this.
Again this is because the experience is a single person experience. The brightness and volume can be changed in the Quest 3 VR headset to suit sensitivities and each participant is in a specific section of the gallery that is distanced from other visitors.
You are very welcome to wear a mask but we’re unable to guarantee that other visitors or staff will be wearing them too.
If we can do anything to make your visit to Undershed easier, or you have any questions or feedback please get in touch, we'll be happy to help.
We know there will be things we can improve on and adapt.
Find out more about general Undershed access
Overview
Impulse: Playing with Reality is a three-part mixed-reality experience using a Meta Quest 3 VR headset and handheld controlers
The game represents some of the feelings and experiences associated with ADHD, including overwhelm. The narrative stories are documentary tales from people with ADHD. It is designed for people who may be interested to understand ADHD, or who are interested in the representation of ADHD in an art and games.
Credit: Paul Blakemore
Undershed is a new gallery for showing the best immersive and interactive artwork from all over the world. The first of its kind in Bristol and rare across the UK – this dedicated space will stage themed exhibitions that change every few months.
Undershed is a place to come together and experiment with new forms of storytelling. Come on in, keep an open mind and tell us what you think.
With thanks to our sponsor Redcliffe Imaging
Or call Box Office: 0117 927 5100
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