Bringing Colonel Tye to Life: Fighting for Freedom AR Experience

Written By Duane Wilson

I have been fortunate to work on some amazing projects globally throughout my career, but as a history and technology buff, this was a project that I was truly honored to lend my voice to. I had the privilege of providing the voice for Colonel Tye in The Sandy Hook Foundation’s Colonel Tye: Fighting for Freedom experience.

This project is an official part of the America 250 celebration, created in partnership with the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area. This isn't a passive museum exhibit. It's a cutting-edge, interactive augmented reality experience utilizing Apple Vision Pro headsets to put users directly into the high-stakes choices faced during the Revolutionary War.

Titus Cornelius (Colonel Tye) escaped bondage to become one of the most brilliant and formidable Black Loyalist guerrilla leaders of the war, operating right out of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Stepping into the booth to voice his perspective, his humanity, and the weight of the choices he had to make was a profound creative experience. True representation in our national narrative means exploring every facet of the struggle for liberty.

A huge thank you to the Sandy Hook Foundation and the National Park Service for using spatial storytelling to shed light on these vital chapters of American history. If you are in the New Jersey area, the AR exhibit is free and open to the public on weekends through July 25th at the historic Taylor-Butler House in Middletown.

Check out the trailer below to get a glimpse, and read the full story behind the project via the links below!

Duane Wilson
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