Schedule of events

Wednesday 15 April 2026 (8:30am – 5:00pm)

Schedule

8:30 – 09:00

Reception

9:00 - 09:15

Opening remarks

Prof Christopher Headleand

(Head of University of Staffordshire Games Institute)

09:15 - 10:00

Keynote

Immersive Soundscapes in XR: Engineering Ambisonics for Virtual Environments

Dr Bruce Wiggins

(Associate Professor in Audio Engineering, University of Derby)

10:00 - 10:30

Multimodal Accessibility Solutions for Visually Impaired Users of Virtual Worlds

Alex Briggs

(University of Staffordshire Games Institute)

10:30 - 11:00

Photogrammetric Documentation and Preservation of Dynamic Urban Art Spaces within Interactive Immersive Environments

Daryl Marsh

(University of Staffordshire)

11:00 - 11:15

Break

11:15 - 11:45

Designing Disbelief: Virtual Scenography and the Threshold of Reality in The Nether

Dr Owen Brierley

(Kingston University, London)

11:45 - 12:15

When Worlds Collide: Interprofessional XR Design

Jonathan Furmedge

(University of Staffordshire)

12:15 - 12:45

Comprehending 4D Environments: Creating an Environment to Explore Situational Awareness in Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays

Bradley Davis

(University of Staffordshire Games Institute)

12:45 - 13:45

Lunch Break

13:45 - 14:15

Retracing the car park

Assoc Prof Dr Kenneth Feinstein

(University of Leeds)

& Dr Racelar Ho

(Independent Various Art Space)

14:15 - 14:45

Colour vision balancing – it’s beyond a toggle

Billy Gray

(University of Staffordshire Games Institute)

14:45 - 15:15

From Data to Virtual Worlds: Immersive Simulation for Environmental and Heritage Research

Linards Bitte

(Norwich University of the Arts)

15:15 - 15:30

Break

15:30 - 16:00

Assessing Workplace Fire Safety Knowledge Among UK Business Owners and Responsible Persons through Games-Based Learning

Robert Lambert

(University of Staffordshire Games Institute)

16:00 - 16:30

How an art gallery can animate its spaces and collections through gaming

Steven Roper

(The Whitworth, The University of Manchester)

16:30 – 16:45

Closing Remarks

Assoc Prof Dr Kieran Hicks

& Dr Human Esmaeili

(University of Staffordshire Games Institute)


for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2025

for Social Inclusion

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

for First Generation Students

The Mail University Guide 2026

in the UK for Games Education

Rookies Games Design and Development 2023, 2025

TIGA Best Games Institution 2024, 2025

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021