October 2023
Role: lead artist & creative technologist
Commissioned by: Bedford Creative Arts
How can we use digital technology to inform and inspire a new generation about Bedford’s past?
Digital Ghost Signs is a project that combines public art with digital technology to bring to life the stories behind three murals located in Bedford Town Centre. The web app uses Augmented Reality to offer a deeper experience of the existing murals.
The Vault
(mural by Julian Beever)
This experience combines AR, escape game and discovery of the local buildings. Players are invited to find clues on the buildings of the High Street to unlock the legendary (digital) vault and get a chance to run away with a pile of gold. Each month, a new chapter of the heist is revealed making progress towards the vault, with new puzzles and new prizes.
Cardington Shed
(mural by Amy Womalds)
An interactive AR experience where participants can make historical airships take off from the Cardinton Sheds and discover more about how the sheds have been used throughout the years.
The future of flight
(mural by Keith Hopewell)
An interactive AR experience where visitors are invited to virtual fly planes to unlock snippets of content related to Bedford’s aviation heritage.
Team
Clemence Debaig, creative technology lead
Alex MacKinnon, digital art
David Thatcher, game design
Press
Partners
The project is commissioned by Bedford Creative Arts and supported by funding from Historic England, through Bedford Borough Council, with additional financial support from South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), ARA and BedfordBID as well as Bedford College.