Celebrate the centennial of Save The Children with an activation created to raise public awareness about the horrors of school bombings, which not only causes death and destruction, but also denies an education to more than 27 million children worldwide.
Make people feel what it’s like to be inside a school during a bombardment, through an immersive experience with a highly emotional impact. This sensorial tour began in an apparently familiar and tranquil setting – a school hallway – reconstructed in the underground parking lot at the Museo MAXXI in Rome, but participants were gradually led towards experiencing the terrors of war. The journey was reserved for groups of 15 people at a time and simulated the various emotional stages of the trauma, thanks to the involvement of several actors and a highly effective sound design. First to enter the scene was the voice of a young girl who introduced the visitors to this parallel world; next was the teacher who accompanied the group to class, trying to keep everyone focused despite the oncoming air raid.Lastly, came the shocking moment of the bombing itself, with surround sound, billowing smoke and the intervention of Save the Children rescue workers who came to take everyone safely away. The activity was the subject of dedicated research by the Luiss University of Rome, won a bronze at the 2020 ADCI Awards and the Strategy and New York Festival awards at the 2020 Touchpoint Awards.