Overview
When the Kennedy Center closed during COVID, the question became: how do you keep the spirit of a performing arts venue alive when audiences can’t walk through the doors? I partnered with the social VR platform Rec Room to create a virtual Kennedy Center experience that people could join from anywhere—an immersive environment designed for exploration, gathering, and performance.
Inside the app, visitors could tour recreated spaces, meet virtual hosts, and experience iconic details including a JFK bust and an interactive stage complete with curtains, lighting, and microphones. The goal was to translate the feeling of arriving at the Kennedy Center into a new digital format—one that encouraged discovery and enabled users to become part of the performance, not just viewers.
Details
- Role: Creative Lead and Project Manager responsible for vision, coordination, and delivery of the virtual venue experience.
- Scope:
- Partnered with Rec Room to build an immersive Kennedy Center environment in-app
- Developed the visitor flow: touring, hosting, and performance moments
- Directed design and recreation of key spaces and iconic visual elements
- Built a full virtual stage environment with performance-ready features (curtains, lighting, microphones)
- Coordinated production, approvals, and creative alignment with internal stakeholders and external partners
- Team:
- Rec Room VR production/build team
- Kennedy Center stakeholders and creative collaborators
- Virtual hosts / presenters
- Impact:
- Created an accessible way for audiences to “visit” the Kennedy Center during closure
- Maintained audience connection and institutional presence during shutdown
- Introduced a participatory, social VR model for performing arts engagement
- Established a blueprint for immersive programming that extends beyond physical venues