Unlocking The Cage
Social Impact & Innovation
Unlocking the Cage is an augmented reality experience, shining a light on the women writers whose work lies in the “cage” beneath Exeter Library.
An immersive audio exploration of the forgotten women that helped shape modern literature.
“How we remember history determines history. Women did not play a marginal role in our national story; it is the marginal remembrance of women that marginalises us.” Kim Sherwood
We were asked:
Author Kim Sherwood was commissioned by Libraries Unlimited to write an exploratory essay based on the books found within Exeter Libraries rare and special collection. Kim discovered that out of these 800 books, stored in a room know as the ‘Cage’, that only 8 of them were written by women.
"I looked closer at the eight that were there and I realised it was possible to tell a different story, because these eight books are not only by some of the most important writers of the 18th century, they are also by some of our most important women writers. I thought these books actually can help us tell a different story of the history of literature; a fuller story." Kim Sherwood
Kim’s essay became the stimulus for Libraries Unlimited, supported by Arts Council England, to commission dBs Pro to propose ways to engage new and existing library visitors, across the South West of England, in the essays powerful content and themes.
We created:
We produced an Augmented Reality audio book based on the rare texts and narrative from Kim Sherwood’s original essay. The AR books printed pages come alive with spatial audio, music and 3D animations; transporting audiences into Exeter Libraries basement ‘Cage’ store room, and back in-time to the worlds of four key female figures; Elizabeth Montague, 18th century critic and host to literary salons; Elizabeth Carter, 18th century poet and translator; Lady Rosalind Northcote, 19th century nature and place writer and Ethel Lega-Weekes, 19th century historian.
The project takes a passive tech approach - in that the technology used is transparent to the audience. Our aim here was to remove experiential barriers for the audience, so they become fully immersed in the content. The audio within the experience is binaural, which creates a sense of 3D sound around the audience. Recorded partly on site in the libraries archives and in our studio in Bristol.
The work was installed on-site at Exeter Library and tours to partner libraries in South West England throughout 2022-2023. The project was launched for International Women’s Day 2022.
Partners and collaborators
Written and Narrated by Kim Sherwood for Libraries Unlimited, Devon. Concept, production and build by dBs Pro. Augmented Reality App Development by Chris Mugridge at Zubr Curio. Music by John Matthias and Jay Auborn. Animation and illustrations by Sarita McNeil. Book Design by Chris Price. Book fabrication by Rosie Sherwood. Sound engineering and production management by Yaz Kahveci for dBs Pro. Audio implementation by Máté Moldován for dBs Pro.
