Immersive Arts programme opens for applications
Funding opportunity for UK artists to explore immersive technology
The new Immersive Arts programme has announced £3.6 million in funding aimed at supporting UK-based artists who are working or want to work with immersive technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality.
The programme is designed to broaden access to immersive art, providing funding, resources, and guidance to artists of all experience levels.
This three-year programme offers three funding tiers tailored to different stages of artistic development:
- Explore - £5,000 grants support artists new to immersive technology to experiment and build foundational skills
- Experiment - £20,000 grants allow artists to develop experimental work or test concepts with small audiences
- Expand - for more advanced projects, £50,000 grants enable artists to complete and scale existing work, with additional audience engagement
Beyond financial grants, Immersive Arts will also provide successful applicants with training and mentorship opportunities, and a chance to connect with peers, experiment with new tools, and engage in collaborative projects to enhance their work.
Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include individual artists, creative practitioners, arts-based organisations, and small groups or collectives (with limits of 10 members for Explore and Experiment, and up to 50 for Expand). Applicants must be based in the UK, aged 18 or over, and have a UK bank account.
How to apply
To apply, artists should visit the Immersive Arts website and review the programme's guidelines before registering with the application portal.
The first round of applications closes at midday on Monday 2 December 2024.
Artists chosen in this round will be notified in early 2025, with selected projects running from March. Subsequent rounds are scheduled for 2025 and 2026.
Artists can submit an application to one strand in each round of funding. They can apply again for subsequent rounds, whether or not they were funded through an earlier application.
The Immersive Arts programme is managed by Watershed and funded by a partnership of Arts & Humanities Research Council, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Wales.
First published 28 October 2024