In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats
The new multiplayer version of In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, from East City Films, is coming to Leeds as the only northern venue on the national tour for a 34-day run this summer. The highly anticipated new version of the internationally acclaimed, award-winning interactive VR adventure, which takes audiences back in time to the beginning of the Acid House movement and the creation of UK rave culture is presented as a shared communal experience for groups of up to four people.
The experience was created with extensive involvement of some of the leading figures of the Midlands rave scene at the time, including Coventry’s legendary promoters Amnesia House.
Since its initial premiere in 2022, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats has delighted and unified audiences globally with its nostalgic immersive adventure of finding an Acid House rave in 1989. With this new version at Leeds Testbed, presented in the first real warehouse space for this tour, East City Films pushes the technology even further to allow people to experience the story together in the same virtual space. They can interact together, pass objects to each other, discover the rave together and dance together on a euphoric journey into the heart of a music revolution. Previously this was a singular immersive journey for one audience member to have on their own in a room with other people having that solo experience. Now audiences can share that journey in groups of four.
The creative team behind ‘Beats spent time making the experience fully accessible to wheelchair users with a seated version and d/Deaf audiences with subtitles, Haptics (vibration), Access Packs, VR Explainer and scene descriptions and Touch Tour.
To further enhance the experience, East City Films has partnered with Woojer. Woojer’s innovative haptic vests will add to the multi-sensory journey, immersing users in a vibrant auditory landscape and enhancing accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing community. This collaboration aims to deliver an inclusive experience that resonates deeply with all audiences.
Tickets for In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats at Leeds Testbed are now on sale here.
Director Darren Emerson, East City Films said:
“East City Films is creating the 'experiences of the future'. Experiences that take audiences on incredible journeys into the past to reconnect with our shared history and humanity.
“These experiences are leading the convergence of theatre, film, music, gaming and visual art to create epic adventures that audiences will never forget.”
James Abbott-Donnelly, Co Owner, TESTBED Leeds said:
“We’re proud to host In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats at TESTBED – not just because it’s a brilliant piece of immersive storytelling, but because it captures the spirit of a movement that shaped so much of what venues like ours stand for. Bringing this new multiplayer version to life in a real warehouse space, in a city with such deep rave heritage, feels like the perfect match.”
The new iteration will take place at Leeds Testbed from 15 August to 17 September 2025, following a hugely successful 74-day run at the Barbican Centre, London. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is produced by East City Films and created by immersive VR artist Darren Emerson, with the original version funded by the BFI awarding National Lottery funding and Coventry City of Culture Trust. The tour is jointly supported by Arts Council England and BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund. East City Films also received funding from Innovate UK, which is all about helping innovative ideas to flourish.