CULTURE. In the coming days, the Félix-Leclerc Cultural Complex will offer music lovers a unique experience. Using a virtual reality headset, participants will immerse themselves in the musical universe of five singer-songwriters from Quebec.
The Astéria virtual reality experience is a 30-minute immersive musical journey with works by Vincent Vallières, FouKi, Daniel Bélanger, Dominique Fils-Aimé and Alexandra Stréliski.
Some present Astéria as an exhibition, others as a virtual show. I like to say that it is a unique experience that you cannot miss. The whole family will appreciate it, but I am happier to have found an attractive medium for our teenagers”, says Marie Pierre Mailhot, General and Artistic Director of the Félix-Leclerc Cultural Complex.
When you put on the virtual reality glasses, the immersion is total. The whole universe around us is changing. To get the most out of the experience, don’t hesitate to look around you, above your head and at your feet.
“With this experience we are moving away from the traditional music video, specifies Geneviève D’Amours, administration and sales manager of La Maison Fauve, who produced the experience. For example, for Dominique Fils-Aimé, we are immersed in a jungle, among other things. It’s really a special experience, because you find yourself taming an environment created from scratch in 360°. With FouKi we travel on the back of a flamingo! ”
These universes that have been created really support the lyrics of the song. It brings a new dimension to the songs. During the pandemic, it was a way to make culture and virtual reality accessible. It is also a way to democratize virtual reality, which is not necessarily accessible to everyone in normal times”, adds Ms. D’Amours.
The Astéria experience has been particularly appreciated by teenagers since the start of the tour. It was also the aim of the project to make young people aware of the local culture. We wanted to show them that the music here could also speak to them. Many young people told us that it made them discover music that they knew less about or that seemed less accessible to them. In the end, they discovered that this music spoke to them more than they thought,” says Geneviève D’Amours.
The Astéria experience will be presented in schools, but will also be offered to the general public on Thursday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. (before the Jim Zeller show), Saturday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. (before the show by Rita Baga), as well as on Sunday, October 16 at 1:30 p.m. (before the screening at the cinema). Participation in the virtual reality experience is free. No reservations or ticket purchases are required to enjoy the experience, but a limited number of virtual reality headsets are available. The experience is recommended for ages 11 and up.