Double Act, a free immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience inviting visitors to step inside the birth of British cinema, will open at Hove Museum of Creativity this month. The experience follows the intertwined stories of married film pioneers George Albert Smith and Laura Eugenia Bayley, who helped shape the language of film from their base in Hove at the turn of the 20th century, when the Brighton area was a major global centre of early filmmaking innovation.
Guided by the voices of Smith and Bayley, visitors are transported through a richly detailed world of mesmerism, magic lantern shows, and early film studios, including a recreation of the UK’s second ever film studio at St Ann’s Well Gardens, Hove.
Double Act is created by Brighton artist Jess Starns in collaboration with creative technologists Thomas Buckley and Tom Ward.
A key aim of the project is to reframe early film history and foreground Laura Eugenia Bayley. Credited with more screen roles than any other actress of her era, Bayley is presented as a vital filmmaker and collaborator rather than just a supporting figure. Double Act features landmark early films and innovations, such as The Kiss in the Tunnel, which pioneered early editing and continuity, and Mary Jane’s Mishap, famous for its use of performance and trick effects.
Jess, a University of Brighton Inclusive Arts MA graduate and 2025 Adobe Creative Resident at the V&A Museum, says:
“We hope visitors will enjoy learning about these remarkable innovators and tap into the same spirit of magic Edwardian audiences would have experienced watching their creations.”
Showing alongside the VR experience is Play Back Forward, a free, hands-on exhibition exploring the legacies of Smith and Bayley and other filmmaking pioneers by weaving together archival films, creative responses by local young people, and new collaborative installations by artists Chahine Fellahi and Annis Joslin.
Double Act and Play Back Forward are both presented as part of Days of Wonder, a three-year project exploring the heritage of film and media in Brighton & Hove. Days of Wonder is curated and produced by videoclub and Corridor in partnership with Brighton & Hove Museums and Screen Archive South East, with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and BFI/Film Hub South East
No previous experience with VR is required to enjoy Double Act. Trained staff will be available to support visitors throughout their session.
Double Act is free and runs shows at Hove Museum of Creativity on Monday 16 February and from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 February 2026.
