Window to the Past

Step back in time and explore Bristol Old Vic’s foyer using your very own Window to the Past.

What to Expect

Window to the Past is a ground-breaking bespoke augmented reality app that lets you immerse yourself in over 250 years of history and discover the drama developing through every Bristol Old Vic renovation. 

Simply pick up an iPad from our Box Office team any day of the week between 10:00-17:00 or download the App directly to your personal iPad to start exploring. Please note, AR mode will only work onsite at Bristol Old Vic, whilst Armchair mode will work anywhere.

About Window to the Past

We used architectural plans, committee minutes and photographs from our historic collections at Bristol Archives and the University of Bristol Theatre Collection to discover what our foyer looked like during the 1770s, 1860s, 1910s and 1970s. Our project archivists revealed what the furniture and décor like might have been in each era. Limbic Cinema created twelve 3D scenes and geographically mapped them on to our current foyer so you can match the old spaces with the new configuration as you explore. Zubr then conjured three portals which appear in our foyer as you approach them, allowing you to step into the past. We worked with writer Marek Horn to resurrect the voice of theatre historian Kathleen Barker, who guides you through the App and helps you curate your own history of Bristol Old Vic by finding hidden items.

Perfect for curious adventurers, architecture-buffs, time-travellers and thrill-seekers! 

To find out more about the project, visit Curio and Limbic Cinema.