Iconic Natural and Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites Open in Live Virtual Reality Experience Series to Combat Climate Change 

#ActNowVR Experience and Global Festival Gathers International Audiences to Promote Intercultural Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Real-Time Monthly Events Hosted in the Metaverse on AltspaceVR


DUBAI | YALARA | AGRA | KUNMING | ATSINANAN | TIMBUKTU | MANAUS | OSLO | NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Millennium ART and DreamlandXR have teamed up to unveil the #ActNow Live Virtual Reality Experience in support of the United Nations’ campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability, hosted on Microsoft’s social VR platform, AltspaceVR, now through September 2022. Register for complimentary access: #ActNow VR Global Festival Passes

In 2022, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the treaty known as the World Heritage Convention, to foster global collaboration in preserving invaluable cultural and natural landmarks, and launching the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages worldwide.  

#ActNowVR provides immersive learning environments for digital education illuminating the important roles Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) play in responding to climate change with mitigation and adaptation techniques rooted in traditional knowledge. 

Join us for the next live 24-hour global event on Sunday, February 20th, as we portal into the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - formerly known as Ayers Rock - in celebration of the annual World Day of Social Justice; the 2022 theme is “Achieving Social Justice Though Formal Employment.” The International Labor Organization (ILO) is the adoptive agency of the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization and is also responsible for the Indigenous and Tribal People’s Convention. 

Through the #ActNowVR experience at Uluru, visitors learn about the Anangu Aboriginal people’s culture, history, and traditional practices through visual storytelling. This past November, the new 10-year National Park Joint Management Plan was, for the first time, released in both English and the local indigenous language spoken by the Anangu, and the plan proposes to see full Aboriginal management come to fruition.

Now you can travel the world, despite the pandemic, so long as you have access to WiFi, a desktop computer, or a VR headset you (as your personal avatar) can socialize, learn new things, and take action!

“We have been producing environmental art experiences in collaboration with UN agencies since 2005, where people had to live in or travel to the cities to see our shows or view it on their browsers in Web2,” said Mia Hanak, founder and executive director of Millennium ART. “Now with Web3, it’s the first time we can reach broader and more diverse audiences around the world who can participate in real-time with conversations and activations in a live shared social experience in the Metaverse.”

The #ActNowVR pilot project launched in MetaDubai with a digital replica of the Al Wasl Dome from the World Expo, celebrating the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future with an immersive 360° architectural projection mapping show canvasing the interior façade of the dome. Thousands of diverse avatars from across the planet portaled into the experience from over twenty-five countries. See highlights in our videos: https://vimeo.com/670119124 + https://vimeo.com/675318068 

“DreamlandXR is honored to roll out the Metaverse green carpet and welcome our guests from around the world to enjoy the phenomenon that is the #ActNowVR Experience, which has the ability to unite the world on a mission to create a more sustainable future,” said DreamlandXR founder, Christopher Crescitelli.

Each month a new virtual world will be unveiled as part of the #ActNowVR Global Festival in digital simulations of UNESCO Natural and Cultural World Heritage sites such as the Taj Mahal in India, Shilin Stone Forest in China, Atsinanana Rainforest in Madagascar, Nærøyfjord in Norway, Timbuktu in Mali, and Central Amazon Conservation Complex in Brazil. 

By registering once for free, participants receive a virtual pass to join AltspaceVR’s event-based community of users that come from many different cultural backgrounds where they can connect with like-minded individuals sharing a common interest in the sustainability of our planet. In-world VR moderators monitor participant’s behavior to ensure the public environment is free of inappropriate language or actions.     

The #ActNowVR program is part of an effort to help overcome social and travel limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing creative technology solutions that unlock new possibilities through transformative experiences in safe, simulated environments. Studies show that virtual reality can help promote sustainable habits with real-world choices. Download the AWorld for ActNow App on your phone to track your individual daily actions which count towards the 5 million sustainable actions already taken! 

In its new global report on the Futures of Education, UNESCO declares that “transforming the future requires an urgent rebalancing of our relationships with each other, with nature, as well as with technology that permeates our lives, bearing breakthrough opportunities while raising serious concerns for equity, inclusion, and democratic participation.” 

It takes a team of creative technologists working together from all corners of the globe to bring the #ActNowVR Experience to life. The Global Festival is co-produced by Millennium ART, DreamlandXR, and Fresh Wata Studios, hosted in the Metaverse on AltspaceVR, a Microsoft-owned social VR platform, in virtual worlds built by Cause + Christi Immersive XR Design, featuring architectural projection mapping with content by Minds Over Matter Design, musical scores mixed by Celeste Lear of Boutique Electronique Music, and an app for trackable action by AWorld

With #ActNowVR we are providing an inclusive and accessible creative communications experience that enables attendees of all ages, with any capabilities, and from all walks of life, to choose their level of immersion while attending our hybrid live/virtual events. To participate in the #ActNowVR Global Festival in the Metaverse, just download the AltspaceVR app on a PC or Mac for 2D or VR headset for 3D (note: the experience is not accessible on a smartphone), create your free account, design your personal avatar, and join thousands of people for a monthly, live 24-hour event.

Link to Image Folder: https://bit.ly/3oTRDYX
Follow us on social media: @ActNowVR #ActNowVR
Learn more: https://dreamlandxr.com/actnow-vr
Register for free: https://bit.ly/ActNowVR
How to enter the Metaverse: https://altvr.com/altspacevr-beginners-guide/

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ABOUT OUR TEAM


ACTNOW is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability. With the AWorld ActNow App for action, over 4.8 M individual actions have been tracked to date, with over 208,000 actions taken as part of #ActNow at Expo.  www.un.org/en/actnow 

MILLENNIUM ART specializes in designing creative initiatives and cause-related experiences that embrace the important roles of art, culture, education, environment, science, and technology in engaging diverse audiences in social progress towards a peaceful, equitable, and sustainable future.
www.millenniumart.org | info@millenniumart.org 

DREAMLANDXR uses the power of disruptive technology to develop and create meaningful XR campaigns that journey beyond traditional tactics with a focus on audience engagement and strategy by curating authentic, interactive virtual worlds and next-level virtual experiences. 
www.dreamlandxr.com | info@dreamlandxr.com   

FRESH WATA STUDIOS is a creative team of talented artists, craftsmen, producers, and technologists meaningfully building human connection through exceptional experiences. 

ALTSPACEVR is a Microsoft-owned social VR platform for live, virtual events empowering artists, brands, and businesses to easily design meaningful experiences that foster community and connection. 

MINDS OVER MATTER DESIGN is a design lab created by the founders and creative team behind Obscura Digital. MOM is a diverse group of pioneering minds that are focused on manifesting the unexpected. 

BOUTIQUE ELECTRONIQUE MUSIC is boldly stepping into the future of entertainment by utilizing immersive technology to produce virtual concerts, festivals, and music experiences in the Metaverse.

AWORLD provides in-app experiences that help weave sustainability into everyday life, showcase its importance and impact in daily decisions, and illuminates the way to a truly sustainable lifestyle. 
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Media Contact: 
Owen Phillips, Thought Gang Media | owen@thoughtgangmedia.com 

Sponsor Contact: 
Mia Hanak, Executive Director, Millennium ART | mia@millenniumart.org 

Attachments

 
ActNowVR_Uluru_SDG_Sunset ActNowVR_AlWaslDome_MetaDubai-3

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