Ulster University is working closely with Derry City and Strabane District Council to bring some seriously spooky goings on to the world famous Derry~Londonderry Halloween celebrations, thanks to the innovative input of a cross-departmental group of students who are pooling their creative and technical talents to come up with some haunting new ideas.

The University responded to a call out for creative content for this year’s programme and the students have certainly met the challenge, with four original projects to be unveiled during the Awakening the Walled City Trail, beginning on Friday October 29th.

The first brings together Music, Performing Arts and Computing and Engineering students who have come up with an eerily atmospheric installation to help transform Derry’s riverside into the ethereal world of the Whispering Wharf, one of five magical worlds hosting the Halloween festival this year. A specially designed installation will light up the Foyle Arts Building featuring some ghoulish graphics set to music. Animated scores will light up the interior of the building illuminating the pieces being played by the university’s Experimental music students.

The old and new worlds collide as the university’s Computer Animation students breathe life into popular robotics creation NAO. The cute robot is already no stranger to Youtube thanks to Dr Emmett Kerr, and his antics will be captured in a clever animation featuring NAO in his new guise as a robot ghost out for some Halloween mischief. Look out for his giant inflatable robot alter ego as it haunts the Strand Road Campus.

There’s plenty to do as well as see, with some interactive Zombie led activity on campus, as the Foyle Arts Centre is besieged by the living dead. Drama students will lead groups on a sinister scavenger hunt through the building, using technology to outwit their zombie hunters.

What would you do if zombies took over the world? A student from the School of Computing, Jake Buchanan has developed a bespoke website for the event, full of tips as to how to spot a Zombie and how to prepare an emergency kit.

For those who dare to be scared, Professor Victoria McCollum is currently working with the Nerve Centre to come up with the ultimate cinematic showcase of Northern Irish horror to be screened at the university over the course of the festival. Each night horror fans can view the very best productions hand-picked by the Cinematic team at UU.

It’s been an exciting year for the university with the opening of the new School of Medicine, the launch of NI’s first paramedic science degree and the return of students and staff to campus. Halloween now brings an opportunity to welcome people to the campus to see for themselves all it has to offer, and to share in the beginning of this exciting new chapter for the University.

Visit the Halloween at Ulster website