Wild Wings of Hope in AR
An immersive storytelling experience combining papercraft and Augmented Reality to bring the migration of barn swallows to life.
Caroline Parkinson Director, Edinburgh Futures Institute
"Beautifully crafted, immersive, and sensitive storytelling."
The Brief
- Wild Wings of Hope brings together traditional storytelling and papercraft to celebrate the migration of barn swallows between the UK anf Africa.
- With support from Immersive Arts, we explored how technology could extend the papercraft and storytelling to support reflection, wellbeing and nature connection in healthcare settings.
- Working with developer Tanya Parker and storytellers Gift Amu and Cara Silversmith, we explored how digital interaction could preserve the warmth and tactile nature of the original project.
The Idea
- The experience begins with a simple postcard. Viewed through a phone, the swallow artwork comes to life through AR.
- Animation and nature soundscapes bring migration to life as the swallow travels between the UK and Africa, with spoken voiceovers from Celtic and African storytellers.
- Guided reflection and papercraft activities invite participants to slow down, create and explore their own journeys through writing.
The Result
- The first prototype was presented at the CreativeTech Scotland Gathering and is now being tested with NHS Lothian and RSPB Scotland.
- The project has also been selected for presentation at The Big Thing, Immersive Arts’ annual gathering of artists, producers, technologists, researchers and funders in Llandudno.
A Window into the Swallow’s World
Viewed through a smartphone, the postcard comes to life.
Guided by a storyteller, participants follow the swallow’s migration through changing seasons, interwoven with traditional folklore and themes of memory, hope and renewal.
Bringing Migration to Life
At the heart of the experience is migration — a metaphor for hope, connection and the challenging journeys we each make through life.
Along the way, participants are invited to reflect on their own experiences of change, uncertainty, and belonging.
Connecting Physical & Digital Worlds
At the end of the journey, participants make a paper swallow carrying a message of hope — a tangible moment of reflection inspired by workshops with hospice participants and dementia-friendly groups.
Purposeful Technology
The AR experience adds a new layer of storytelling to the papercraft, allowing people who are unable to attend in-person workshops to share in the journey.
The project is now being tested across healthcare settings, bringing moments of reflection, creativity and connection to those who need them most.
A Project Shaped by Collaboration
Wild Wings of Hope brings together a range of creative expertise.
I shape its overall direction, artwork and design; Paul Marshall animates the swallow illustrations; Tanya Parker leads the AR development; and Cara Silversmith and Gift Amu Logotse bring the project to life through oral storytelling.
A Project Shaped by Love & Loss
The project grew from my experience of loss and the swallows’ annual return to my family home in Wales.
What began as a personal response to grief has become a shared creative journey — bringing moments of nature, reflection and hope to people in healthcare and care settings.