“Lost City of Mer” presented by Bennett and Canner

‘Lost City of Mer’ is a virtual reality (VR) interactive experience combined with a smartphone app that immerses players in a fantasy undersea civilization devastated by ecological disaster caused by global warming. The project aims to harness the immersive and empathetic potential of VR to address climate change and create a sense of urgency in the player with regard to their personal carbon footprint. Players are invited to help rebuild the lost world of Mer and its devastated ecosystem in VR by re-establishing its unique flora and fauna, and fighting ongoing dangers and threats, with the aim of bringing back to life its mysterious Mer-people inhabitants. Guided by a solitary seal spirit named Athina players try to save the Mer population from extinction, in the process learning how their real-world actions impact the world around them. The experience is based on real science, but told through fantasy, as it draws on the cross-cultural myth of the mermaid to appeal to people across the globe.