Immersive content fund bids invited
January 22, 2019
By Colin Mann
Digital Catapult, a technology innovation centre that unlocks digital growth in the UK economy, and national development body Arts Council England, have announced an Open Call for a new cohort of content creators to join CreativeXR, a programme aimed at supporting the development of new virtual, augmented and mixed reality experiences within the creative industries.
CreativeXR is seeking submissions which focus on creative, consumer-facing experiences enabled by immersive technologies. Entries could include:
- Artistic pieces
- Cultural experiences (including those inspired by museum, gallery, library or heritage experiences)
- New forms of storytelling (fiction or non-fiction)
- New forms of interactive entertainment
Twenty successful applicants will receive up to £20,000 (€22,700) of early stage investment to develop their prototype, mentoring from industry leaders, access to Digital Catapult’s nationwide network of Immersive Labs and opportunities to pitch for further development funding.
This year’s programme follows the success of the first CreativeXR in 2018, which saw twenty teams create prototypes and five teams receive further funding to complete their projects. These five immersive experiences will be previewed at a showcase event at Digital Catapult on February 4th 2019.
“CreativeXR is about stimulating the strength of British storytelling and commissioning talent. Immersive technologies offer many new content opportunities to be bold and experimental in creating engaging and authentic experiences,” commented Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult. “This collaborative effort with Arts Council England pushes UK creative startups to innovate in order to reach new audiences, tell new stories, and establish new business models. We hope it will encourage a new boldness in investors and commissioners too.”
In 2018, CreativeXR received over 1,000 registrations of interest and over 250 applications from its Open Call. Digital Catapult and Arts Council England are now on the lookout for the next cohort of ambitious immersive content creators.
“We’re excited to partner with Digital Catapult again to recognise the best immersive content creators in the UK and offer them the support they need to reach their full potential,” declared Francis Runacres, Executive Director, Innovation and Enterprise at Arts Council England. “The popularity of last year’s programme indicates the huge appetite for this kind of support, while the incredibly high-calibre of immersive experiences that emerged from it demonstrate the UK’s leadership in this space and potential for further growth.”