Sheffield

01 Oct ‘22 -
31 Mar ‘23

Central Library, Surrey Street, Sheffield, S1 1XZ

StoryTrails features digital experiences that invites residents to experience Sheffield like they’ve never seen before through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and an immersive emotional map of Sheffield. The experiences centre around Sheffield library as well as on the streets of Sheffield itself. Or you can experience it from the comfort of your own home by downloading the Story-Trails app.

Immersive technology allows audiences to travel through time and space to experience the place where they live in new and magical ways. You can explore stories across virtual and augmented reality and via a series of installations by visiting the StoryTrails station at your local participating library. 92% of participants in StoryTrails said they’d learnt something new about their town or city using AR. Download the Story-Trails app here and see what you can discover for yourself about Swansea.

Outside the library you can start a guided bespoke augmented reality trail which takes you on an interactive tour of Swansea. All equipment can be borrowed for free from the library. Local landmarks are transformed to become interactive scenes through which you can explore history at or close to the location it took place in. Created featuring archive footage and recordings from the BBC, BFI and Yorkshire & North East Film archive and local and national archives you can uncover untold stories presenting a window into the past.

What’s on offer at Sheffield Library?

• 6 Virtual Reality Experiences

• Interactive Spacial Map Installation

• Two Augmented Reality Trails: ‘Ethel The Green Queen of Sheffield’ & ‘Crafty Grace’

Download Our App

Download the free StoryTrails app and explore our AR trails in your town or city, or at home!

Download iOS App Download Android App

Guided by the Story-Trails mobile AR app, you will be led at your own pace to different story points along a fixed route. If doing the trail on location, you will enter a virtual story portal outside the local participating library to begin your StoryTrails experience. Or you can access any of the 15 StoryTrails locations trails from home via the Story-Trails app. Using a mix of stunning augmented reality experiences that remix the BFI, BBC and Yorkshire & North East Film archive, you will experience history where it actually happened, revitalising the streets upon which you stand with new voices and untold stories of the past. Inside the library you will be immersed in a unique virtual map of Sheffield made up of 3D models, and audio stories captured on location.

Accessibility

Sheffield library has steps to the front entrance. Wheelchair and pushchair access is at the rear of the building at the Arundel Gate entrance (signposted at the main entrance). Everything is situated on the ground floor of the library for the Stortrails tour. The toilet is located behind the area where the VR is happening.

For more detailed accessibility information click here.

If you would like to read our FAQs, please click here.

Gemma Thorpe

TrailMaker,
Sheffield

Gemma recently created a film for the Sheffield visit of ‘Walk with Amal’, working with community groups across the city as they prepared to welcome giant puppet Amal. As the first City of Sanctuary Emma finds it really important to celebrate Sheffield’s welcoming attitude and how it has become home for people from all over the world.

“I love the sense of humour in Sheffield and how warm people are - you are never too far away from a smile or a laugh. It’s a resilient city: people don’t take themselves too seriously and we look out for each other.”

“I vividly remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird at school. The book’s themes had a big impact on me - that everyone should have the right to freedom, to live without prejudice and to be themselves.”

Sile Sibanda

StoryMapper,
Sheffield

Sile is a freelancer at BBC Radio Sheffield as a journalist, collecting stories from people in the community, editing them and presenting them in different shows. She is most proud of her ‘Tale of Two Homes’ short film commissioned by Migration matters festival. The film looks at belonging among the children of migrant parents and people who have two cultures, one they inherited from their parents and the other they got living in England.

“I love the people and the diverse communities that live here, each person has a unique story to why they came to live in Sheffield and why they choose to stay here, whether it is the peak district, the music and art scene, the universities or family.”

“‘The seat of the soul’ by Gary Zukav is my favourite book because of the confidence it gave me to follow my dreams and my passions”

Imaan Samson

TrailMaker,
Sheffield

Imaan has always been interested in telling stories and sharing tales from under-represented groups whilst capturing untold stories and is excited to gain hands-on experience with Virtual Reality, 3D scanning and Augmented Reality technology. Recent works include producing a short documentary called Evocation, which was made solely using still images, with a combination of the use of audiovisual archival footage and factual-based storytelling.

“I love the urban community of Sheffield as the city's youth are making great progress in innovation which inspired me to unearth more diverse stories about how the diaspora contributed to Sheffield's rich history and economy.”

“My favourite library book is titled ‘We Are Writers’. This book has a special part in my collection as it offered every child in every school an opportunity to be a published creative writer, I was published as a new author in 2014.”

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