About me

My name is Paul Staring, and I strive to create immersive experiences that weave connections between all living things. This manifests in the form of storytelling, audio walks, rituals, games, and other interactive media.

I have always been fascinated by immersion: the feeling of being so submerged in something that you are completely absorbed in a state of play and being in the moment. Whether it is through stories, books, music, games, or walking. In 2021, I graduated Cum Laude from the Photography, Film, and The Digital program at the AKV St. Joost Academy. Since then, I have participated in the Playgrounds Next Talent program of 2023 and the Raise Your Voice Trajectory 2024 at Baltan Laboratories. I have worked on projects in the Dutch digital culture scene such as the Golden Calf-nominated VR project The Imaginary Friend and the unique interactive orchestra experience Games in Concert: The Score.

I apply my work experience with immersion, storytelling, and interaction to create experiences that do not distract you into a digital world but rather anchor you more deeply into reality. Meaningful experiences, or rituals if you dare to call them that. A path off the map and back into the actual landscape. In these times of crisis, the world needs us to care for and be involved. I aim to create experiences that provide space for that kind of work. Space for connection, slowness, reflection, grief, playfulness, and learning to extend our empathy to the more-than-human world. It is my way of contributing to a shift towards an animistic worldview, full of life to respect, celebrate, and explore.