Activating the VR Lab at Kennedy Center:REACH
For the opening of the Kennedy Center's $175 million REACH expansion, Capitol Interactive orchestrated the VR lounge experience — welcoming over 2,000 guests in just three days to explore world-class 360-degree films from award-winning filmmakers.
Industry: Arts & Entertainment
guests experienced VR storytelling in the first three days of the REACH Festival
A New Arena for the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center, internationally renowned as a venue for performance and arts, was building a name for itself in a new arena: virtual reality. For the opening of their $175 million REACH expansion, the Kennedy Center sought to activate the new space with innovative technology experiences that would resonate with a broad audience — not just the tech-savvy early adopters.
Our Approach
Capitol Interactive orchestrated the full guest experience for the REACH Festival's VR lounge, from developing the custom VR playback application to curating a lineup of six world-class 360-degree films that showcased the storytelling potential of virtual reality.
Custom VR Application
Capitol Interactive developed the VR application for playing back the curated 360-degree films, ensuring a seamless and accessible experience for first-time VR users and enthusiasts alike.
World-Class Film Curation
Six films were selected from leading VR filmmakers, including Disney's "Circle of Life" from The Lion King on Broadway, Eliza McNitt's "Fistful of Stars," the Royal Swedish Ballet's "Half Life," and the Emmy-nominated documentary "Traveling While Black" from Felix & Paul Studios.
Inclusive Guest Experience
The lounge was designed as a safe, welcoming space where guests of all backgrounds could try VR for the first time without feeling self-conscious — broadening the technology's reach well beyond its typical early-adopter demographic.
The Results
Over 2,000 guests experienced the VR films in the first three days of the festival alone.
The VR lounge attracted a significantly broader demographic than typical VR activations, including older adults and families.
The curated film lineup demonstrated VR's potential as a storytelling medium for arts and education.
VR as the Future of Storytelling
"Storytelling with virtual reality is hands down the best way to introduce people to topics they're unfamiliar with. The level of immersion it provides makes it a great tool not just for art, but also for education, and I can't think of a better institution than the Kennedy Center to help bring that to the public."
“At REACH, we were able to create a safe space for individuals to try something new — and open the technology to a much larger demographic than the younger tech-savvy crowd that usually tends to gravitate towards it.”
Joseph Cathey
Founder & CEO, Capitol Interactive
