A year ago digital technology innovation centre Digital Catapult and the Arts Council England launched CreativeXR, a programme aimed at supporting the development of new virtual reality (AR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) experiences. Today, they’ve announced that applications are now open for CreativeXR 2019.
The initiative is looking to fund 20 immersive projects, with successful applicants able to receive up to £20,000 GBP of early-stage investment to develop their prototype. Those chosen will also gain access to mentoring from industry leaders, as well as Digital Catapult’s nationwide network of Immersive Labs and opportunities to pitch for further development funding.
For 2019 CreativeXR ‘is seeking submissions which focus on creative, consumer-facing experiences enabled by immersive technologies’ states a press release. Examples given 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
“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,” comments Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult, in a statement. “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.”
“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,” says 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.”
CreativeXR 2018 received over 1,000 registrations of interest and over 250 applications from its Open Call, seeing twenty teams create prototypes and five teams receive further funding to complete their projects. These five experiences will be previewed at a showcase event at Digital Catapult on 4th February 2019.
Interested applicants have until 17 February 2019 to submit their proposals. For further updates on the programme, keep reading VRFocus.