Places will be further developed: as one of the most important platforms of the XR scene in Germany, Places will in future also be visible in various other formats that go beyond the annual presence of a festival.

The third Places _ VR Festival was also a real success and attracted 6000 visitors on- and offline. Meaningful XR” was also the focus of our festival this year. At Places _ 2021, the present already showed how XR positively influences our future – be it in business, health, social, design or sustainability. But with the 2021 edition of the festival, “Places” is also entering a new phase. We have put Gelsenkirchen on the map of the VR scene with the festival, but in the future we want to be more than just an event and industry meeting place. The goal is to establish VR & AR as a branch of industry in our city and, for example, to establish a VR Lab that serves as a platform for young developers and start-ups. To the Review

Originally planned for May, the situation around the Corona pandemic unfortunately leads to a further delay, so that the Places _ VR Festival 2020 will take place in August. Nevertheless, with a responsible hygiene concept, a festival could once again take place that brought together developers and those interested in the topic of XR and provided an opportunity for XR makers to network, exchange knowledge and bring forward new ideas. With the Experience _ Places, live-streamed speakers, panels and talks, workshops, Creative _ Places art commons, and the Hackathon and DIVR Science Award, the festival reaches over 4000 people onsite and online. To the review.

At Creative _ Places we have implemented the long-cherished idea of a short term artist-in-residence program. 6 artists* from all over Germany lived and worked together for one week, in a shared flat, working in a shared office to present a joint exhibition with elements of XR, video and performance.

The Places _ VR Festival celebrates its premiere. Germany’s first festival for Virtual Reality takes place in the Creative Quarter Ückendorf. More than 2000 visitors, enthusiastic program partners and numerous media reports with over 8.9 million viewers, readers and listeners impressively confirm that the idea of the festival came up at the right time and in the right place. The festival program included experience stations, lectures, workshops, parties, a hackathon and much more. The response from visitors and program partners was overwhelmingly good and motivated people to start planning a new edition of the Places _ VR Festival -> Link to the review

One thing proves in no-time: A VR event in Ückendorf has a high potential, but needs certain structures and a portion of conceptual work in addition to the existence of an organizer, if the event is to be successful. The Insane Urban Cowboys come into play and with their idea for a whole VR festival they inspire the business development department of the City of Gelsenkirchen. The final concept for this four-day festival is developed in cooperation. The basic idea behind the festival: Attract partners from all over Germany and stage it in the different locations of Ückendorf – from the glass arcade of the “Wissenschaftspark” to the now empty former shops and buildings. Here, with the help of VR, visitors are transported into different worlds. The theme of the “place” represents this idea and as a consequence we talk about the “Places _ VR Festival” for the first time.

In the course of 2016, in Gelsenkirchen, the first ideas around the topic of Virtual Reality are developed. Florian and Patrick Becker are planning the opening of their VR arcade “VRoom.ruhr” and the business development of the City of Gelsenkirchen has also recognized the potential of this new technology. Dr. Christopher Schmitt, Head of the Department of Economic Affairs, brings the idea of a VR weekend in Ückendorf into play. Initial talks between VRoom and the citys business development department take place and the first ideas for VR events in Ückendorf are spun.

In November, the Insane Urban Cowboys, previously existing as an informal network at that time, form a common association. The aim of the group is to let young movers and shakers in Gelsenkirchen network and to stimulate the cultural life of the urban area. The Insane Urban Cowboys want to play a role in the development of the urban district Ückendorf. This happens mainly through various parties in this neighborhood, which is, by many, still considered to be a no-go-area at that time, as well as through networking events for young creatives and entrepreneurs in Gelsenkirchen.

In this part of the town, in some places, there are already beginnings of change. Events of the creative scene take place around Bochumer Straße. The district is slowly blossoming and the Insane Urban Cowboys are doing their part.