StoryLab Commissions
StoryLab is an open innovation event which funds prototype productions in immersive and next-generation storytelling, linking SMEs with university researchers and large scale organisations, like Heathrow, The National Gallery and Discovery.

StoryFutures has been commissioned by Festival UK* 2022 to deliver an ambitious experiment in film, broadcast, and augmented reality, that will combine public archives, with immersive storytelling to ask who we are, where did we come from, and where are we headed?
We are looking to commission eligible creative companies from London and the ‘Gateway Cluster’ with a track record in story-driven VR experiences and an interest in innovating with film and TV archives to produce 10 x VR R&D projects.
On offer is a £50,000 R&D production budget each to build a 3-10 minute archive-based VR experience in collaboration with an academic expert, as well as the opportunity to develop emerging talent in your business. There will be an additional £15,000 award for hiring, mentoring, and developing diverse creatives from a national pool curated by StoryFutures.
Selected companies will be asked to use and reinterpret our national media archives to develop new VR experiences and storytelling approaches. Royal Holloway, University of London academic experts will support companies' quests to push the boundaries and use media archives like never before.
Please carefully review the Brief and Academic Partner Profiles below prior to starting your application. For questions on the application process, there will be two online Q&A briefing sessions on Thursday 5 August 2021, and Monday 16 August 2021 from 16:30 - 17:30.
For any inquiries, please contact iqra.bukhari@rhul.ac.uk

Check out our previous StoryLab commissions below

Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children’s Charity Challenge
StoryFutures and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children’s Charity, which provides specialist nurses and support to seriously ill children, are excited to announce a £40,000 StoryLab commission: ‘transition of care through immersive storytelling’. This project is now in development.

The Modern Collectibles: How a passion for collecting tells our stories
StoryFutures & Discovery have teamed up to launch an innovation challenge exploring the role next generation technologies could play in enhancing our passions for collecting and collectibles in Britain today.
Visit news article
Heathrow Immersive Football Challenge
StoryFutures is pleased to announce its latest research and development (R&D) challenge with Heathrow. Creative companies in our local region are invited to apply for a £60,000 budget to create an immersive prototype experience that encourages passengers to celebrate their love of football.
Visit news article
The National Gallery Challenge
Winning SME Focal Point VR, based in Guildford, have produced the first-of-its-kind prototype 'Virtual Veronese' in collaboration with StoryFutures and The National Gallery.
Project showcase
The Heathrow Pop Pour Drop Challenge
Winning SME Surround Vision has produced a new immersive experience that tackles coffee cup recycling through object recognition and machine learning. Check out our showcase for the results of this project.
Project showcase