Dominika Švecová

As a PhD in Practice Design student, my project explores stage fright through immersive virtual reality (VR). Drawing from my background in documentary filmmaking and personal experience with social phobia, I am developing an interactive VR experience that simulates the intense emotional and physiological responses associated with stage fright. The project has two goals: first, to allow users to experience—firsthand—the emotional and physiological sensations of stage fright; and second, to explore whether creating and engaging with this work can have therapeutic benefits for myself and others. Users will step into a first-person perspective—blinded by spotlights, surrounded by judgmental voices, and consumed by anxiety—before transitioning to a moment of transformation and support.

Combining artistic expression, psychological insight, and immersive technology, this work aims to foster empathy and healing. I’m especially excited about cross-disciplinary collaboration and how Our Minds could expand the project’s therapeutic and public impact.