Space – PxHere
Digital cultural mediation is taking a decisive step forward in France, particularly in Occitanie. The program ‘Art in Immersion: Virtual Reality in Hospitals’, led by the association Culture pour l’enfance (CPE), is rolling out immersive workshops for children undergoing long-term hospital treatment, transforming hospital beds into gateways to space.
This initiative, which is part of the Culture-Health projects, uses virtual reality (VR) not only as a means of escape, but also as the cornerstone of active and individualised mediation, which is essential to the well-being of young patients.
A strategic collaboration for access to culture
The success of this project relies on a strategic link between culture, technology and health.
The Culture pour l’enfance association is leading this project, providing supervision, specific training for mediators and technical logistics. To ensure the quality of the content, CPE has partnered with Culturespaces, enabling the immersive digital exhibition ‘Destination Cosmos – the Ultimate Challenge’ to be adapted into an individual VR format.
Access to the public is enabled through collaborations with hospitals in France. These host partners integrate cultural activities into the children’s care program.
The experiment began at the end of 2023 with a pilot phase, building on existing experience with VR for anxiety management. Regular and active deployment in several regions – Île-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie – has been underway since September 2024, with the project officially launched nationwide around June 2024.
From immersion to expression: the mediation methodology
Virtual reality – pexels
CREATIVE WORKSHOP – pexels
The experience goes far beyond simple entertainment. It is structured around a specific mediation process, led by professionals trained in the hospital environment, using art and technology to support children’s cognitive development.
The main content, ‘Destination Cosmos: The Ultimate Challenge’, offers a complete sensory escape. The immensity of the universe is an ideal subject for inspiring wonder and transforming the experience into a valuable cultural interlude.
Each 90-minute session is personalised and comprises three key phases, supervised by a mediator:
- Preparation and confidence: Build a rapport with the child, explain the tool and build anticipation for the ‘journey’.
- Immersion and contemplation: Viewing the exhibition in VR, segmented to suit the patient’s pace and comfort.
- Post-RV creation and expression: This phase is crucial. Children are encouraged to express their emotions and discoveries through art workshops (drawing constellations, building models). The aim is to transform the passive visual experience into an expressive action, allowing them to externalise their feelings and extend their imagination.
Virtual reality at the hospital
According to the Culture pour l’enfance association, this holistic approach helps break the isolation often associated with long-term hospitalisation, making culture a real lever for resilience for young patients.
A future in mediation: get started!
The ‘Art in Immersion’ programme demonstrates that cultural mediation is a rapidly evolving field capable of harnessing the most advanced technologies to meet fundamental social and human needs. This type of project demonstrates a growing need for professionals capable of designing, setting up, and running innovative cultural initiatives in local communities.
Are you between 15 and 25 years old and interested in culture, social ties and innovation? The project Mediate Your Future! The project aims to give you the keys to becoming a player in this new wave of mediation. It will offer resources, including practical training on setting up and managing a cultural mediation project. Whether in urban or rural areas, in the digital sphere or elsewhere, the playing field is vast. Get involved and help make cultural mediation a lever for transmission, change and inclusion for all.