Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is The Foremothers Café? Is it in Lund, Sweden, or is it in New York?
A: Neither, The Foremothers Café is not a physical space. It’s in Virtual Reality portraying a fictional café in Lund, Sweden in 1918. This means that no matter where in the world you live, you can participate in our activities.
Q: What is Virtual Reality?
A: Virtual Reality is a fully immersive space and experience. When you wear a VR headset, it covers your eyes and shows you the VR-World in 3D all around you, making you feel like you're inside the space. You can turn your head in different directions and walk around, creating the sensation that you're actually there.
We're fond of this apt explanation:
“I asked AI to explain VR to my 5-year-old. It said, ‘Imagine putting on glasses and suddenly you’re inside a train or a rocket ship!’” – Dan Blair, Applied XR Researcher and Educator
Virtual Reality can be accessed through headsets such as the Meta Quest 2 and 3, Meta Quest Pro, Pico, or Apple Vision Pro. Alternatively, for a 2D version, it can be accessed through a computer, smartphone, or tablet. (See below)
Q: Do you have to have a Virtual Reality Headset to join events at The Foremothers Café and other Virtual Worlds?
A: No, you can also join on your computer or smart device for a two-dimensional experience. Just like with a headset, you use an avatar to interact, but you’ll navigate using your mouse, arrow keys, or the W, A, S, and D keys to move around instead of hand controllers. The Foremothers Café is fully accessible through your computer or smart device. Please use headphones to minimize audio feedback while interacting with others.
(While it is possible to join through a smartphone or tablet, we recommend using a larger device, such as a laptop or a computer.)
Q: Is it like Zoom?
A: No, it’s not like Zoom. Virtual Reality is fully immersive, meaning you enter a space or experience where you use an avatar to interact with others in real-time or engage with objects in the virtual world. Just like in real life, you might attend a movie, join a discussion, play golf, or hang out with friends. At The Foremothers Café, you can join us for Fika (Swedish coffee hour) every Thursday afternoon, participate in our monthly Community Discussion Series, enjoy a cultural event, or visit an art exhibition.
Q: When is The Foremothers Café open?
A: The Foremothers Café is open 24/7. It’s a public space, and you can visit anytime. Events and happenings are scheduled, so please check out our events page here
Q: How do I find The Foremothers Café?
A: Whether you have a headset or plan to join through another device, start by creating an account, download the ENGAGE app, and create an avatar here: https://engagevr.io/download-engage/ It’s free!
Once you're set up, you’re ready to join us. There are two ways to do this:
- Visit The Foremothers Café anytime by logging into the ENGAGE app and clicking “Join Session, then Join by Session ID,” then enter: 2a0K6 when prompted. Take note that the third digit is a zero.
- Join one of our scheduled events by logging into ENGAGE, clicking on "Events," and selecting our Foremothers Café event once it goes live.
Important: Don’t use the Session ID to join events. The Session ID is only for private visits, meetings, or unlisted private events.
Q: How much does it cost to join events at The Foremothers Cafe?
A: Nothing! All events at The Foremothers Café are free of charge. However, we greatly appreciate donations. You can leave a tax-deductible donation here: https://bit.ly/ForemothersField All proceeds go toward supporting The Foremothers Café. Please look for our Donate tab.
Q: I went into The Foremothers Café but my avatar wasn't there. Why didn't it work?
A: If you were inside The Foremothers Café World, your avatar was there. In fact it's not possible to visit The Foremothers Café without it. The reason you don't see your own avatar is because you are inside it. It's just like in real life, you don't see your body walking around in front of you, you are inside it.