XR Network+ partners with the Royal Shakespeare Company to run R&D challenge

XR Network+ and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) have launched a research and development challenge for academic-led projects to explore the creative possibilities of virtual production technologies in live theatre performance. 

The RSC R&D challenge is an opportunity for two project teams to work with the RSC to investigate how performance can be captured and offered as new theatre experiences across a range of platforms. 

The projects will form the next chapter of the RSC’s pioneering work bringing live performance capture to theatre and will investigate multi-platform experiences including live broadcast, and interactive experiences for game platforms, mobile, streaming and broadcast. 

Sarah Ellis, Director of Digital Development, RSC, says: “Theatre has always innovated with new tools and technologies, and with Shakespeare we’ve seen over the last 400 years what that can do for storytelling.  

With the advancement in real-time technologies and capabilities around virtual production, our worlds are getting closer, faster and challenging how we think about live performance. We are excited to explore those possibilities with a team of researchers and industry partners in collaboration with XR Network+.”

Commencing in January 2025, the projects will explore new ways to bring the power of live performance to different audiences and communities across the world.

UK Research and Innovation FEC Grants Standard Terms and Conditions will be applicable to the funding. Projects must be costed on a 100% Full Economic Cost basis to a maximum of £75,000 at 100% FEC and will be funded at 80% FEC. 

Visit the XR Network+ research grants web page to find out more about the challenge.

Applications close at 5:00pm on Wednesday 14 August 2024.

Photo by Topher McGrillis ©️ RSC, The Tempest production photos 2016

Published on 3 July 2024