“Unlike more traditional Fellowships, we are encouraging people to make things and be part of an active network of people with extraordinary skills and expertise. Bringing together interdisciplinary research and collaboration and providing opportunity for connecting to new areas of technology with time to think is a magic combination. We can’t wait to support these Fellows in the process”
The Fellowships are aimed at freelancers, practitioners, industry and academics. They are intended to be a period of collaborative thinking and experimentation, applying practice, expertise or relevant experience. They are an opportunity to explore ethical questions, consider what makes a meaningful experience for audiences, ask new questions and test high-risk ideas.
The six Fellows are:
Ellie Chadwick, will be at Condense, in a practice-based Fellowship exploring ways of performing in their virtual venue and creating guidance for performers through experimentation and user experience research. She will also work with an Academic Fellow who will be evaluating different ways of performing in Condense’s virtual venue.
Helen Brown will also be at Condense, but as an Academic Fellow in collaboration with the MyWorld Understanding Audiences Research Team. She will be focusing on evaluating different ways of performing in Condense’s virtual venue and shaping guidance for performers through experimentation and user experience research.
Shakara Thompson will be at Celestial, in a practical and analytical Fellowship exploring the world of drone light shows, and the possibilities for Artificial Intelligence to influence the process of creating them, both technically and creatively.
Harry Willmott will be at Zero Point Motion, in a practical and experimental Fellowship focused on designing and conducting user research using VR enriched with finger tracking and physiological monitoring, to understand how these features impact the user’s presence and immersion in the experience.
Amy Rose will be at Air Giants, in a practice-based Fellowship exploring how the context of interaction with Giant Tactile Robots shapes participant journeys, and how to devise stories that invite engagement and play.
Clarice Hilton will be at UWE Bristol, working with Marshmallow Laser Feast and All Seeing Eye, in a practical Fellowship exploring the ways in which people with different Disabilities might experience and value various modalities (such as such as type of headset, controller and environmental interaction) in location-based VR, and how this should inform the design process.
The Fellows will complement the teams that are currently developing prototypes as part of the Collaborative Research & Development projects supported by Digital Catapult. These projects are designed to address emerging challenges from across different areas of the Creative Industries.
"We are delighted to support these Fellowships. The CR&D project teams are working at the limits of what's currently possible within each of their specific areas, these Fellows will work alongside those teams complementing and enhancing the R&D being carried out, examining it through additional lenses and bringing new perspectives to the work.”
These Fellowships are part of the MyWorld IDEAS programme, funded by UKRI.
Main Delivery partners: University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath, Bath Spa University, Digital Catapult, Watershed, Aardman Animations, Lux Aeterna, Esprit Film and Television, Bristol Old Vic and Opposable Games.
