[Commlist] Call for Contributions: Immersive Storytelling Symposium

Immersive Storytelling Symposium: Opportunities for Innovation

2^nd and 3^rd November 2021, Lakeside Arts, Nottingham, UK, and online


  Topic

A huge amount of R&D talent is focused on the *global immersive 
technology market*, which is estimated to be worth $95-105 billion by 
2023. In the United Kingdom the Creative Industries Sector Deal draws on 
£72 million government funding to support this new wave of innovation. 
The national network of Creative Industries Clusters includes XR Stories 
(York), StoryFutures Academy (London) and XR+D (Bristol and Bath). The 
Audience of the Future demonstrator programme is producing unique 
experiences spearheaded by renowned cultural institutions like the Royal 
Shakespeare Company, Natural History Museum and Royal Opera House. These 
initiatives are designed to establish the UK’s position in an 
international marketplace that encompasses everything from Dreamscape 
Immersive’s location-based VR attractions, to Museum of Ice Cream’s 
multi-sensory installations, to Punch Drunk’s immersive theatre shows. 
Just this small selection of examples is spread across the USA, 
Singapore, Dubai and China.

Storytelling is central to the immersive entertainment industry, whether 
that’s digital experiences (e.g. interactive virtual environments), 
hybrid experiences (e.g. alternate reality games) or physical 
experiences (e.g. escape rooms). The global pandemic has accelerated the 
pace of R&D as the power of creative minds has focused on connecting 
with dispersed audiences in their own homes and locales using 
technologies like streaming and mobile device applications. With this 
come the challenges of retaining qualities of liveness and collective 
experience when people can’t physically travel or congregate in large 
numbers. As the market begins to open up again, it’s a good moment to 
consider the opportunities for innovation that exist. The goal of this 
symposium is to tap into the sector’s imaginative energy, *bringing 
people together from all corners of this emerging market* to share their 
ideas about designing, making, consuming and evaluating immersive stories.


  Audience

Immersive storytelling is a collaborative process. *Artists, performers 
and technologists* work together to realise a narrative vision. *Venues, 
funders and institutions* commission new work and help connect members 
of the public with those stories. *Industry and academic researchers* 
identify cutting-edge technical possibilities, synthesise best practice 
from across the sector and analyse data collected from audiences. We 
want this event to involve people in all these roles and particularly 
encourage members of teams to speak about the skills and lessons gained 
from R&D partnerships.


  Event

In keeping with the current times, and the theme of opportunities for 
innovation, this will be a *hybrid event*. For a relatively small number 
of people in a position to travel to Nottingham there will be a 
programme of in-person activities. Simultaneously there will also be an 
online programme available to a much larger group of participants. 
Content from both programmes will be available to in-person and online 
audiences, but we understand these experiences must work differently. 
For example, the online event needs to be accessible across global time 
zones. Further information about event format and registration will be 
made available in July and August.

The event will comprise four types of activities:

1)Keynote speakers: offering in-depth insights about the latest R&D 
innovations

2)Panel discussions: bringing together different expert perspectives on 
a topic in conversation

3)Showcasing presentations: demonstrating the practical and/or research 
outcomes of projects

4)Performances: engaging our imaginations through immersive storytelling 
prototypes/pilots


  Call

We invite contributions to this symposium from the full range of 
industry professionals and academic staff/students around the world who 
are innovating in the area of immersive storytelling.

*Panel discussions*: Please provide a 100-word description of a topic 
related to immersive storytelling that you would like to discuss with a 
panel of peers. Applications can be made by individuals or 
pre-constituted pairs/teams. Each applicant should also provide a 
100-word biography.

*Showcasing presentations*: Please provide a 300-word abstract 
summarising the work you would like to present, whether this is a 
practical demonstration of an immersive storytelling approach, or the 
findings of research about immersive storytelling. Each applicant should 
also provide a 100-word biography.

*Performances*: Please provide a promotional blurb and technical 
requirements for an immersive storytelling experience that you would 
like to exhibit during the symposium. Each applicant should also provide 
a 100-word biography of the artist or company.

The deadline for all submissions is *23:59 BST on Thursday 16 September 
2021*. Please submit your contributions by completing this online form: 
https://forms.office.com/r/krkaZYxAiA 
<https://forms.office.com/r/krkaZYxAiA>

Bursaries will be available if you work freelance and your submission is 
accepted for the event.

There will be an opportunity for selected contributions from the 
symposium to be written up for a special issue of the research journal 
/Convergence /(Sage) on the topic of immersive storytelling.

For further information please contact (sarah.martindale /at/ nottingham.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(sarah.martindale /at/ nottingham.ac.uk)>

Bursaries will be available if you work freelance and your submission is 
accepted for the event.

There will be an opportunity for selected contributions from the 
symposium to be written up for a special issue of the research journal 
/Convergence /(Sage) on the topic of immersive storytelling.

For further information please contact (sarah.martindale /at/ nottingham.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(sarah.martindale /at/ nottingham.ac.uk)>

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