XR Network+ York roadshow and showcase

On 8 October 2025, researchers and creative practitioners working in Virtual Production (VP) technologies came together in York for the XR Network+ roadshow and showcase event.

Attendees from across the UK fostered new connections and experienced the tools and workflows developed by some of the 23 research and development (R&D) collaborations funded by XR Network+ over the last two years.

Taking place at the mid-point of the five-year project, the event celebrated the outputs of XR Network+ to date, and provided an update on ongoing activities including the XR Labs Fund and work to create an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) framework to administer inclusive R&D funding calls.

The roadshow also looked to the future, convening attendees to participate in roundtable discussions to interrogate current XR Network+ research themes. Findings from the session will inform plans to shape the next two years of the project as the XR Network+ team continues to provide funding and support to drive UK-wide research, development and innovation in VP technologies. 

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and technologies part of many of the XR Network+ R&D projects, the event introduced speakers from different sectors and backgrounds to share perspectives on the challenges, opportunities and impact of AI technologies, ethics and creative practice.

Roundtable discussions at the XR Network+ York roadshow

Julian Parker from Stability AI shared his work generating long-form musical audio using generative AI. Julian used examples from the Stable Audio model series to illustrate how such a model is designed and constructed. 

Angus Finney, film and entertainment business specialist, author of ‘Human in the Loop: AI and the Film Value Chain’, and co-author of CoSTAR Foresight Lab report, AI in the Screen Sector, talked about his work across the entertainment value chain.

Sarah Atkinson, Professor of Screen Media at Kings College London chaired an expert panel on the future of real time creative technologies. Panel participants Marta Herrero (University of York), Des Clarke (artist, musician and composer) and Jack Morrow (Retinize) shared insights from across digital philanthropy, live performance, and virtual production to consider the impact of extended reality and AI technologies beyond the VP studio. 

Marta Herrero, Jack Morrow, Des Clarke and Sarah Atkinson participate in a panel discussion at the XR Network+ York roadshow

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Published on 20 October 2025