Beats Are Back: Award-Winning VR Immersion Lands at the University of Warwick
The award-winning VR experience ‘In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats' has made its long-awaited return to Coventry, the birthplace of rave culture.
After a groundbreaking UK and international tour, the world-renowned phenomenon will feature at Warwick Arts Centre from 29 September to 13 October, as part of the University of Warwick’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
The highly acclaimed VR adventure explores and transports audiences back to the heart of Coventry’s rave scene in the late 80s. It brings to life the stories of promoters, police officers, pirate radio stations, and rave-goers whose rivalries and relationships fuelled a music and societal revolution.
What started as a small exhibition created for the Coventry City of Culture 2021, has now grown into an international touring success. From Canada, Taiwan, Australia, to the USA and several European countries, “Beats” has shared the story of the West Midlands acid house pioneers ‘Amnesia House’, and their role in shaping a youth culture revolution, to audiences around the world.
And now the experience has evolved to feature a multi-player experience, which allows groups of up to four people to step into a virtual realm as avatars to experience the sights, sounds, and euphoria of the city’s legendary Acid House era together.
Beth Byrne, Creative Director at Warwick Arts Centre says: “It is a joy to host this award-winning event at Warwick Arts Centre. Bringing such a ground-breaking experience back to the Coventry community where it began is important and allows us to share it with many more people in its newly evolved state. As an Arts Centre on a university campus known for its innovation and the important role it plays in the wider West Midlands CreaTech hub, this experience is the perfect blend of storytelling and interactive gaming. It reflects our ongoing commitment to presenting a diverse range of work to as wide an audience as possible.
“Rave culture is part of the fabric of Coventry and the West Midlands’ history, so this is a brilliant opportunity to share it with multiple generations in a fun and memorable way."
Featuring euphoric rave anthems like “Chime” by Orbital and “Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram, “Beats” uses cutting-edge Virtual Reality technology to immerse audiences in a meticulously detailed, one-hour interactive experience. For a taste of what’s to come check out the Beats Spotify playlist here.
Immersive artist and creator of In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats Darren Emerson says: “We’re delighted to bring the UK tour of In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats back to its spiritual home of Coventry, with our partners at The University of Warwick. What we began here as part of City of Culture in 2022 has grown into an international success and a landmark for VR. Returning to Coventry where it all started feels incredibly special. With the new multi-player version enhancing the sense of collective euphoria, audiences here can experience it at its very best.”
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats will run at the Warwick Arts Centre for a limited two-week residency. Tickets are available to book via the Warwick Arts Centre website and are priced at £24.50 / £16.00 for under-26s.
The homecoming residency of In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is part of the incredible celebrations for the University of Warwick’s 60th Anniversary, which has already seen the institution build up to a legacy mural art piece as part of the Retreat to Create project with top UK artist David Speed, a world-changing Festival of Innovation, as seen on Sky News, and the upcoming Poetry Trail: A Science Art Collision.
The 60th anniversary celebrations continue with the stunning Global Illuminations Light Festival in November, and more events will follow as the University publicly reaffirms its commitment to creating a better world together.
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.
For more information, visit The University of Warwick 60th Anniversary page.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For more information, please contact: press@warwick.ac.uk
Pricing:
●£24.50 a ticket / £16.00 for U26 (Tickets available here.)
About In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats:
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats was created by immersive artist Darren Emerson and produced by East City Films, with the original version funded by the BFI awarding National Lottery funding and Coventry City of Culture Trust. The tour is jointly supported by Arts Council England and BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund. East City Films also received funding from Innovate UK, which is all about helping innovative ideas to flourish.
East City Films is creating 'experiences of the future'. Experiences that take audiences on incredible journeys to the past to reconnect with our shared history and humanity. Experiences that are leading the convergence of theatre, film, music, gaming and visual art to create epic adventures that audiences will never forget.
About the Warwick Arts Centre:
One of the largest multi-artform arts centres in the UK, Warwick Arts Centre delivers a high quality, engaging, and diverse programme of performing and visual arts, concerts, films, festivals, education and learning activities, and special events - all presented in world-class venues and spaces.
Since opening in 1974, Warwick Arts Centre - at the heart of Coventry's University of Warwick campus - has been a distinctive and special place, an important resource for both the arts and audiences in the region, as well as a significant force in national and international arts networks.
A recent transformation, the biggest in the arts centre's history, has seen the venue significantly expanded and upgraded, with a spacious new foyer, three state-of-the-art cinema screens, and a remodelled contemporary art space, The Mead Gallery.
1 October 2025