Thankfully, things have calmed down enough to look back on the last couple of months of making, talking, and exploring the metaverse. Let's go...
Roundtables
It has been the season of the roundtable recently. I participated in Create Central's Shape The Future roundtable alongside Meta's Unit 2, the University of Warwick, Covatic, and Fresh Seed to discuss all things immersive. The need for accountability and safety in the metaverse was a big talking point.
I have also been asked to chair an immersive working group for Arts Council England. I will be facilitating sessions over the next 6 months for UK and US-based arts organisations to discuss their immersive plans and experiences. We have Birmingham Royal Ballet, Manchester International Festival, FACT Liverpool, Austin Opera, and the National Gallery on board. Looking forward to getting into it with the group.
Beachcomber VR
Development is well and truly under way on Beachcomber, the VR experience I'm producing for BFI and StoryFutures Academy with Second Home and Holosphere. We have been testing the mechanics and locomotion within the engine to set the base experience before we move into building the world out further. We've also started meeting some musicians for scoring purposes so it really feels like it's slowly coming to life.
MindLoop AR
MindLoop is also being developed with input from researchers at Birmingham City University and STEAMhouse. I was pleased to be able to attend the opening of the STEAMhouse facility and also meet the mental health nurse lead who will be providing their expertise in the augmented reality project from a clinical perspective. Further links with the academic side are being forged and I'm enjoying this way of working on a project that has such sensitivities, but potential to help people.
Jerwood Arts & Cheltenham Festivals
I had the pleasure of delivering a talk for Jerwood Arts and Cheltenham Festivals on the many approaches to pitching. I was invited to speak to four jazz musicians with digital projects as part of the scheme and we went through how to approach a pitch, structure your information, and hopefully win more funding. I enjoyed it a lot and there could be some very exciting projects coming through.
Birmingham Tech Week
I also made it along to a couple of events as part of Birmingham Tech Week. It was great to see the enthusiasm for the digital sector and the companies that are starting up to make the future a reality. As one of those companies, I was keen to see if there were any collaborative opportunities in the region, especially as my business has just moved to Digbeth in Birmingham's Creative Quarter.
Innovate:Create
I'm also tying up the loose ends on the Innovate:Create scheme I've been running with Create Central. By the end of October we'll have five funded projects up and running with business support working alongside our industry challenge holders Uber, National Express, Birmingham 2022 Festival, and the NHS Academic Network.
Phew, I'm sure I've forgotten a few things, but that will do for now. Up next is more Beachcomber production and a special visit to the National Theatre to demo their new VR piece and get a behind-the-scenes tour. Exciting!
Until next time...
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