Info
SONA explores virtual reality from the perspective of blind and visually impaired people. Since 2023, we have been developing sound-based audio VR games and performances in complete darkness.
Behind SONA stands a co-creation team comprising more than 30 blind and visually impaired game designers from North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as an artistic and technical team responsible for programming, sound design, and the implementation of inclusive co-creation workshops.
Audio-VR Formats
SONA – Seeing Sound is a performative audio VR installation for theater and performance festivals – designed by our co-creation team, which interacts live with visitors.
SONA – Diving in the Dark is an audio VR diving game for smartphones, with characters, voices, and levels currently designed by our co-creation team.
Are you blind or visually impaired and interested in joining us?
Click here for our co-creation workshops.
News
18–19 September 2026
SONA @ Season Opening: Theater- and Cyberfestival, Mülheim an der Ruhr
We're at the Symposium of the theater of augmented realities! For the second time, artists, developers, researchers and theatre practitioners come together to ask: Where does immersive and extended theatre stand after years of rapidly accelerating technological development? In the Show & Tell, we'll give insights into our work: talking about inclusive worldbuilding methods, voices and feet as game controllers, and playing a multiplayer round of “SONA – Diving in the Dark”. You can also try the audio VR diving game yourself in the Demo Area. SONA @ Show & Tell: Fri, 18 Sept, 12–1 pm. The Demo Area is open from 6:30 pm on 18 + 19 Sept and is included in your theatre ticket. Tickets are available on the website.
26 - 30 August 2026
SONA @ gamescom, Cologne
We're at the world's biggest games fair! At our booth you can play SONA – Diving in the Dark for yourself and meet the blind and visually impaired game designers who are developing it. On stage, Adriani Botez (co-founder of SONA) and Thomas Meckel (artistic direction) talk about how the project came about — followed by a live session: two players dive through a flooded Cologne of the future, trying to catch one another. You'll find us at the Jugendforum NRW.
Try Diving in the Dark: Wed 1–7 pm, Thu + Fri 10 am–8 pm, Sat + Sun 9 am–8 pm — Booth D020g
SONA on stage: Thu + Fri 3:30 pm — Jugendforum NRW stage
Hall 10.1, Koelnmesse, Messeplatz 1, Cologne
→ Jugendforum NRW
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First SONA Workshop in Spring 2024
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First Steps with Tracking-Sandals
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Talk @ Sommerblut Festival 2025
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Hack the Promise Festival in Basel 2025
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Prototype Test @ c/o Pop Festival 2026
