Sharjah24: The iconic House of Wisdom (HoW), a futuristic social and cultural hub in Sharjah, will provide young visitors at the 12th edition of Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF) with a highly immersive and engaging learning experience by bringing the imaginative world of stories to life through a host of tech-enabled augmented and virtual reality environments.

House of Wisdom’s participation at SCRF 2021, from May 19 – 29 at Sharjah Expo Centre, will enhance interactive learning and reflects its status as a 21st century library for the digital future. In line with the festival’s theme, ‘For Your Imagination’, House of Wisdom will fuel and empower imaginations of young girls and boys as it transforms storytelling though a world of immersive technologies. 

The House of Wisdom’s carefully curated programme aims to bridge traditional modes of storytelling and literature through the new frontiers of virtual reality. The sessions delivered across the 11 days of the festival are structured around interactive storytelling sessions involving the use of puppetry, an exploration of sensory experiences via the medium of emerging technologies, and 11 hands-on workshops addressing genres as diverse as science, technology, literature, art, music, and wellbeing.

To boost the engagement and understanding of young children, and to ignite curiosity and provoke discussions, the House of Wisdom will be utilising an award-winning, innovative tech product named ClassVR, developed by Avantis Systems – a leading educational technology company. 

Following each book-reading session, children will explore topics discussed using mixed reality to blend their physical and digital worlds, and physically interact with a huge range of exciting 3D models. From being able to hold a human heart and getting up close and personal with a black widow spider to navigating the streets of ancient cities, their specially designed programmes for SCRF 2021 will promote holistic learning experiences in children of all ages. 

The 11 workshops will further enable children of all ages to connect with nature, learn the basics of coding and explore science-based experiments, while also indulging in a range of activities focused on both art and mindfulness.