University secures National Lottery funding for immersive Roman amphitheatre VR experience

The project, Our City, Our Story: Deva Victrix in VR, invites members of the public to play an active role in shaping a powerful digital reconstruction of one of the city’s most significant heritage sites. By combining cutting-edge immersive technology with robust archaeological and historical research, the initiative aims to bring Roman Chester vividly back to life.

Developed in collaboration with immersive design specialists IMITO and Julian Baum, archaeological reconstruction artist specialising in Roman Chester from Take27, the experience showcases the diversity of life in Roman Deva Victrix nearly 2,000 years ago. Rather than viewing artefacts in traditional ways, visitors will step inside a dynamic virtual world and encounter characters inspired by real people from the past - including a soldier, a trader, a gladiator and a Romano-British woman - each offering unique insights into daily life on the edge of the Roman Empire.

The VR experience will be available to the public during Chester Heritage Festival and the University of Chester’s Festival of Ideas, with further details on dates and locations to be announced. Visitors will also be encouraged to provide feedback, helping shape and refine the experience for future audiences.

Caroline Pudney, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Chester and project lead, said: “This experience puts people at the heart of history. We’re inviting the public to step inside a carefully researched digital reconstruction of the Roman amphitheatre, meet characters inspired by those who once lived in Deva and tell us what they think. Their feedback will be vital in helping us develop an experience that both enchants and informs.

“By blending storytelling, technology and community input, Our City, Our Story offers a new way to explore heritage - one that is immersive, hopefully inclusive and deeply personal.”

Jacob Dale, CEO and Co-founder of IMITO, said: “At IMITO, we are driven to redefine how audiences connect with history. We believe that heritage should be something you can walk through, experience, and feel. In working on this project, we are incredibly proud to be bringing Deva Victrix back to life.

“Developing the VR experience for Our City, Our Story: Deva Victrix in VR represents a major milestone in our commitment to historically grounded immersive storytelling. By utilising state-of-the-art tools like Unreal Engine and MetaHuman, our team is building a high-fidelity digital world where the past feels immediate and alive. Whether you are encountering a legionary or a gladiator, these hyper-realistic characters serve as a bridge to a story nearly 2,000 years in the making.

“This project allows us to turn rigorous academic research into an immersive journey and we can’t wait for the public to step inside the world we've created.”

Julian Baum, from Take 27, said: “This immersive VR experience exploring Chester’s third century Roman amphitheatre will allow anyone to explore the structure, wander around the arena, up into the walkways and the seating banks.  It will offer a view of the arena from the same perspective as the audiences of almost 1,800 years ago. The VR model is derived precisely from the structurally accurate research model developed by Julian Baum and Tony Wilmott, of Historic England, one of the site directors of the excavation. 

“It is now 20 years beyond that excavation and our understanding of this phase of the iconic structure is now brought to everyone in this immersive VR experience.  But VR also now allows the virtual handling of virtual objects, based precisely on their originals. If that wasn’t enough, the experience also includes asking questions and conversing with people we know of from those says. Julian Baum, along with Alex Foster of the University of Chester and IMITO, has repurposed the 3D research model, optimised it for VR, created more weather-worn materials, bringing one of Roman Britain’s unique structures to life for all to enjoy.”

For more information about the University of Chester’s Festival of Ideas visit www.festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk

For more information about the Chester Heritage Festival www.chesterheritagefestival.co.uk