The Viola Trust is set to unveil Virtual Viola, a stunning 3D digital recreation of Hull’s historic steam trawler, at Trinity House, Hull, on Wednesday 26 November to an audience of specially invited guests.
The new interactive experience will offer audiences an unprecedented opportunity to explore the trawler’s decks, cabins, and engine room as if they were stepping aboard the real vessel, which has lain beached at the tiny hamlet of Grytviken, on South Georgia Island off the Atlantic coast of Argentina, for over a century.
When the escalating costs of physical repatriation made returning the trawler to the UK impossible, the Viola Trust partnered with GSA in 2024 to explore a virtual alternative. Working closely with the Viola Trust and their remarkable resource of archival photographs, survey footage from South Georgia, and material from the Trust’s extensive collection, Prof Paul Chapman, Director of Emerging Technology at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA), and 3D modeller Craig Logan from the School of Innovation and Technology, transformed the story of the Viola into a fully realised digital experience— enhanced by immersive narration from explorer, broadcaster, and BBC documentary maker Paul Rose— that brings the vessel vividly back to life.
Prof Paul Chapman, Director of Emerging Technology at The Glasgow School of Art said: “Having lived, worked and studied in Hull and Beverley, I felt a strong personal connection to this project.
“It’s been inspiring to collaborate with the Viola Trust and use their remarkable archive, combining historic materials with advanced visualisation technologies to help reconnect people with one of Hull’s most extraordinary stories.”
Alan Johnson, Patron of the Viola Trust and former MP for Hull West and Hessle, said: “When I saw what they had done with new technology and digital technology, it’s not just the next best thing; it’s a startlingly impressive piece of work.”
Paul Escreet, chair of the Viola Trust, said: “It will always be a huge disappointment that rocketing costs meant we were unable to bring the Viola home in her physical form, but we are all immensely impressed with the work of The Glasgow School of Art in taking the contents of our substantial archive to create Virtual Viola. We are grateful to all the supporters of the Viola Trust whose contributions helped us with the overall project.
“It is a fantastic piece of work; we are delighted with the positive response we have received from Hull Maritime and Hull City Council, and we look forward to working with them to restore the Viola to its place in our city’s history. It has been mentioned by some that Virtual Viola itself could prompt someone, somewhere, to revive the campaign to bring her back. We would all love to see that.”
The launch event on 26 November will also include the premiere of Viola – Part of the DNA of Hull, a new film by Hull-based filmmaker Dave Lee, celebrating the ship’s extraordinary journey from the Humber to the South Atlantic and back again.
The films depict Viola’s journey; from serving in the Hellyer fleet of boxing trawlers to defending the UK in World War I and departing Hull in 1918 for a career that took her to Norway, Africa, and the South Atlantic, fishing and supporting expeditions. Built in Beverley in 1906, Viola will turn 120 years old on 17 January next year and is considered a unique surviving artefact of the city’s fishing heritage.
For additional information, please contact press@gsa.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA)
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3500 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art and innovation in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1500 students annually.
About The Viola Trust
The Viola Trust was established in 2016 to bring the historic steam trawler back to Hull and to promote awareness and education of the ship and the city’s fishing heritage. The Glasgow School of Art is internationally recognised for pioneering work in virtual reality, simulation and visualisation, and was ideally placed to deliver this historic-heritage digital project.
