Born in Bradford is on a mission to improve livelihoods, health and social outcomes in Bradford through large-scale data research. The project has led to an art-science collaboration to build an immersive experience where this data comes to life in extraordinary ways. We talked with Professor Mark-Mon-Williams at the University of Leeds and Dave Lynch at Immersive Networks Collective about their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Born in Bradford (BIB) is an NHS-led study<\/a> that tracks the health and wellbeing of over 13,800 children from birth to adulthood. The research gathers data on health, but also the mental and social development of this generation, their aspirations, and the environment around them. It is currently the best described population of children anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers aim to use the data to develop new ways to work with families and health professionals to collaborate closely with the community in Bradford to improve social and health outcomes. As Professor Mark Mon-Williams, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Leeds helping lead the project puts it, \u201cBorn in Bradford is about doing science with, not to children. We see ourselves as engaging a \u2018citizen army\u2019, working very much in partnership with the children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The idea to develop a BIB immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience was conceived by Dave Lynch and Christopher De Bezenac, two artists from the Immersive Networks Collective<\/a>, a group of artists, scientists and technologists working to make complex information available via immersive experiences. They came across the BIB project and met Professor Mon-Williams whilst undertaking a cultural fellowship in art and science at the University of Leeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n