A WARRINGTON-based actor, director and producer has been nominated for four national awards alongside his collaborators at extended reality company Juice Immersive in Liverpool.
Darren Jeffries and the rest of the team have been nominated for four British Interactive Media Association awards for a virtual reality project aimed at young people, helping them understand the real-life impact of knife crime.
He conceptualised, wrote, produced, and directed the project, which was developed over 12 months for Everton in the Community and Merseyside Police.
Using Virtual Reality, it places young people directly in the middle of a fictional knife-related incident, allowing them to experience the emotional and social consequences of split-second decisions.
Darren said: “We worked with a cast of local actors to ensure authenticity, and the project is being rolled out across schools and youth groups throughout Merseyside, where it’s already being used as a preventative education tool.
“The project has been recognised nationally with nominations in four categories: Campaign of the Year, Best Immersive Experience, Charity and Social Enterprise and Sector: Education.”
Darren grew up in Warrington and has worked as an actor across stage and screen (Hollyoaks, Brassic) and recently opposite Kym Marsh in Abigail’s Party at The Royal Exchange), as well as producing a number of successful films and podcasts.
He said: “It’s particularly rewarding to see this kind of meaningful creative work being recognised.”
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday November 20 in London, and Darren will be attending along with representatives from Everton in the Community, Merseyside Police, and Juice Immersive.
