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.

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Download the brief on this page and apply

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

Download Brief Academic Profiles Heads of Terms Step-by-Step Guide Apply
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Check out our previous StoryLab commissions below

StoryFutures Immersive Archive R&D Challenge

Apply on our StoryLab Commissions page

Submissions Now Closed