When the pandemic closed in March, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR) in Atlanta knew the importance of finding a way to make downtown galleries accessible to the general public.
With the technological and creative help of an Atlanta manufacturing company, the center has launched a virtual tour of some of its most impressive exhibits.
“We want people to tell the story of how the American civil rights movement inspired global human rights movements around the world and how important it is to the civil and human rights struggles we face today,” said Kurt Reynolds, Development Coordinator at Center, said Hypepotamus.
Using 360-degree films from Atlanta-based One Stop Productions, users can download the centre’s new app on iPhone or Android devices and begin an immersive learning experience. Atlanta broadcast journalist Karyn Greer tells the entire experience as users virtually “walk” through the center.
The app can be downloaded for free and used for all virtual guests. A grant from Cox Entreprises helped get the virtual tour going.
“There are other virtual tours that may have a stop or an interactive screen. But this really is one of the first fully moving 360-degree tours of its kind, ”said Reynolds. “We want to be able to make this experience available to as many people as possible, especially when we are in a place in our country where human and civil rights for many people in our society are really at risk.”
For Reynolds, one of the most moving parts of the tour is when guests step on a simulation of a Freedom Riders bus. The app allows you to pan and rotate your camera to see different components of the bus and seats. There is a video on the bus itself showing some of the violence that took place. “
Reynolds said the final iteration of the virtual tour came after One Stop Productions started filming and wanted to expand on the original storyboard and outline. This has helped guests explore even more subjects and people highlighted throughout the center.
While the doors to the physical downtown location reopened in September with limited capacity, Reynolds anticipates the virtual tour will play an important role in the future of the center. Reynolds said there are plans to create audience-specific tours to help different age groups learn more.
In addition to the virtual tour, the center also launched the Campaign for Equal Dignity, which aims to bring together experts and resources to discuss civil unrest, police brutality, voter suppression and other major societal issues that were at the fore in 2020.
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