Flint Culture launch third round of CreativeXR
Flint Culture has been engaged to promote CreativeXR, the programme from Digital Catapult and Arts Council England to support the creation of new cultural experiences using immersive technology (XR). A record 260 teams applied to join CreativeXR’s third round which asked applicants to come up with original immersive ideas, in particular those which would respond to the restrictions in place as a result of Covid-19.
The 20 selected teams – working across virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), haptics and audio-based technologies – will begin the programme remotely in July. Each team receives £20,000 in funding alongside intensive mentoring and technical support to create a prototype.
Many of the chosen teams for 2020 will create at-home experiences to be accessed by audiences on their phones or computers. Several projects respond directly to the restrictions of social distancing: Kimeleon.tv will create a multiplayer AR game experienced as a live video call, whilst Fred Deakin will use AR to develop a live concert experience projected onto a tabletop pop-up stage.
Other projects address topical social and political issues – from a VR experience set in an unlicensed South London club which offered a safe space to the African-Caribbean community, to the challenges of climate change. Satore Studio and Borough Productions will develop a musical performance charting the relationship between Trump and his communications platform of choice Twitter, which has been reimagined for the virtual world whilst West End theatres remain closed.
Image Credit: DAZZLE, a project from CreativeXR’s second round, at 2019 CreativeXR showcase event. Courtesy of CreativeXR.
