ReAction VR co-creation with youngsters - ImproVive: Improvises, Professionalizes and Vitalizes

Together with over 20 youth organisations and municipalities and the Ministry of Justice and Safety we created the VR Game ReAction to help prevent knife violence amongst youth. The target group is from 10 -18 years old with a focus on the last year of elementary school and first two years of high school. The game is not a red pill – blue pill solution. It opens up youth to discuss their fears and anxieties on violence and escalation through social media and helps them think of alternative approaches to prevent violence or deescalate. By involving teachers and youth workers we introduce a person they can reach out to as an alternative to violence.

The game was initiated by MEE & de Wering, a care organisation that helps people that are in need of (temporary) support, to optimally participate within our society. One of their activities is Youth work in Den Helder.

The game was co-created with youth from Rotterdam, Zaanstad and Den Helder. Youth played a major role in creating the storyline, the narrative, the solutions and contributed to the characters in the game with acting and voice acting. The game was launched on 13 February 2023 and featured in major media such as the Telegraaf newspaper and on national TV.

Together with MEE & de Wering we are involving more organisations to develop VR experiences for other subjects within youth work. Here you can find more information.