Community Love — Meet Lailei Huang
The virtual reality artist and community educator talks about the transformative power of technology and its role in empowering the Parramatta community.
When you first meet Lailei, it’s hard not to be impressed by his joyful optimism. You get the sense that he could move mountains (or algorithms) with his unbridled energy. Throughout his career, he’s worn many hats: virtual reality artist, technologist, passionate community educator, new dad with a COVID baby. Somewhere in the middle of it all, he managed to found the not-for-profit, Australian Immersive Education Academy (AIEA), with a mission to make emerging technologies accessible to all. Here, the Citizen of the Year Nominee for 2023, talks about his role in the community and the power of technology to transform lives.
On living in Parramatta since 2020
“I moved here at a crazy time before the lockdowns began. My ‘COVID baby’ was born in February 2020. It was a strange but wonderful time and now it really feels like home. You really feel respected as a human and taken care of. We respect diversity and we celebrate diversity here in Parramatta, and that’s beautiful.”
On his role in the Parramatta community
“I consider myself a creative artist and educator and love bringing people together in this way. I’ve been doing community education in the field of emerging technologies since 2017, and I really see my role as more cause-focused than to do with making lots of money. My passion is working closely with the community — from school kids to young artists and the elderly — to help reduce the digital gap.”
On the potential of virtual reality
“It’s such a personal, immersive technology. It’s really about exploring the learning environment in a creative way — not just expressing yourself with your hands but your whole body. When you’re immersed you forget about time and space, and I love to share that with young artists.”
On being part of the transformation of Parramatta
“I’m really proud to see how it’s changed along the way with all the community facilities and programs that bring people together. It never shies away from what’s new and cutting edge. It feels like such a young, fast-changing community, and it’s been interesting to witness all this.”
What the future of this community holds
“A community is not only a group of unrelated people, it’s about belonging to all kinds of communities where we can meet people with similar interests. At the core, it’s where people and families can flourish and grow, and have a sense of hope and an abundance of opportunities available to them. As for the Parramatta community? It really has made my innovation dreams come true, and I’m excited to see what’s possible in the future for my kids, my family and the community with the help of Parramatta.”
His favourite time of day in the City
“Definitely Saturday afternoon when I have time to explore different places to eat and local exhibitions. I also love going for picnics at Lake Parramatta with my daughter.”
