Back in 2010, DJW were part of the team telling the story within the recreated 1920’s Capitol Theatre, supplying, installing and programming the AV equipment. This is one of Managing Director, David Willrich’s favourite completed Projects, because it is immersive storytelling at its best. So, he had no hesitation when asked by The Nassal Company, based in Orlando, to join the Consultancy team as AV Consultant, to assist in chronicling the First Nations’ and Métis peoples’ histories, cultures, experiences and perspectives local to Indigenous life in the area, reflecting a rich and resilient history and deep connections to the land and seasons, culminating in the Indigenous Peoples Museum.

Planning began in mid-2018, through 2019 and then there was the Pandemic! Meetings were then continued over Zoom, whilst the Experience began to take shape, David was taken on walks through the building via Facetime and Zoom on another team members phone. This brought a whole new meaning to the term “walk through experience!"

Working remotely and with a site working at a limited capacity due to COVID restrictions certainly added challenges to the project, particularly as the project developed to the point where you would normally be onsite to make quality judgements for yourself. Everyone involved in the project made an extra effort to make the process as easy as possible to deliver an award-winning project. Already a recipient of a TEA Thea Award and many more, for an outstanding project putting into context the very important story of indigenous peoples both pre and post contact. The final part of the experience is in the Meeting Place giving a contemporary account of life today for Canada’s first people (good and bad) to bring the story up to date.

There are so many stories to be told, audio visual techniques play a major role in the storytelling, the pre-contact era is told through the seasons to illustrate life before colonisation. Both front and rear Projection is used to great effect throughout the experience, enhanced by an immersive soundscape.