In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats

A multi-sensory joyride into the heart of a working class revolution in dance

Immersive experience

1,500 people took part in the immersive experience from 29 September until 13 October in the Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre. From poster-strewn bedrooms to pirate radio stations, police headquarters to secret warehouses, visitors stepped into the shoes of rave culture pioneers as they went in search of the party.

Players embarked on an immersive, virtual-reality adventure combining Acid House tracks with interactivity and multi-sensory simulation to find an illegal warehouse party in 1989, reigniting the anticipation, trepidation, excitement, and euphoria that surrounded the Acid House movement, celebrating multiculturalism and community through the prism of late 80’s politics and society, showcasing how Acid House broke down social barriers and brought people together to shape a generation.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats brings to life the stories of the promoters, police officers, and rave-goers, whose rivalries and relationships drove a revolution in music and society. Set against the backdrop of the Coventry and West Midlands rave scene, the room-scale VR experience brings to life the stories of promoters, police officers, and rave-goers whose rivalries and relationships drove a working-class dance revolution.

Award-winning adventure

This internationally acclaimed, award-winning interactive VR adventure was first commissioned as part of Coventry's UK City of Culture 2021 programme and produced by East City Films and created by Darren Emerson which has been touring around the UK since 2022. The VR technology recently evolved to enable multi-player format (allowing four players to interact with each other within the playing space and in the same ticket slot through group avatars). It was first rolled out at the Barbican run before Warwick Arts Centre. Players are kitted out with a vibrating vest, headphones, visor and hand controls to bring the journey to life as an interactive group of up to 4 players, each with their own avatar on the journey.

Featuring euphoric rave anthems like “Chime” by Orbital and “Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram, “Beats” uses cutting-edge Virtual Reality technology to immerse you in a meticulously detailed, one-hour interactive experience.

Participants were surrounded by the sounds, sights, and sensations of being young in an era of musical and cultural transformation.

Hosting In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is the perfect example of the University’s innovative thinking combined with a love for modern technology, whilst not forgetting the importance of providing creative outlets for the community. Residencies like In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats will ensure the 60th anniversary creates a lasting legacy globally and a precedent for future collaborations.

A living documentary, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats transports you back in time to the height of the rave scene in Coventry, 1989. Find yourself in the shoes of rave culture pioneers, as you explore tracking down an all-night illegal warehouse party to feeling the anticipation, trepidation, excitement, and euphoria of the Acid House movement.

The epic immersive experience previously premiered as part of the Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations, selling out its month-long run. Over 1,500 people attend with a limited run of 500 £10 tickets released exclusively for University staff and students.