Future Tuesdays Presents VR Content Creator Christopher Lane Tues 15th of June 2021

Future Screens NI were delighted to welcome ground-breaking VR content creator, Christopher Lane to present at Future.

Christopher Lane is a pioneering theatre director and the Creative Director of Relative Motion, a VR storytelling studio run by theatre-makers. 

Having worked extensively in new musicals, classics and opera, Christopher moved into narrative VR in 2017.  With support from Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery, he created two new VR productions: Shakespeare VR (recently acknowledge by UKRI as an outstanding and influential immersive experience from the last 20 years) and a new CG drama, Reorientation, in collaboration with Breaking Fourth Ltd. His work with Relative Motion includes Tosca VR (a commission/collaboration with The Space), Edward II VR (ACE and The Barn Theatre, Cirencester) and three new VR experiences with Sheffield’s Music in The Round. Presently, Relative Motion are being funded by the British Council to develop a new narrative VR experience with The Freedom Theatre in Palestine. 

In working at the intersection of theatre and VR for the last five years, Christopher has acted as a consultant in immersive storytelling for theatre organisations including the Royal Opera House, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Stratford Festival of Canada. He was part of the RSC/Magic Leap Cohort in 2019 and is presently developing a workshop series in narrative VR for an MA performance programme at the Stockholm University of the Arts.

Chris shared his insights on creating narrative VR and discussed how theatre practices and paradigms can help shape the future of VR storytelling.

Find out about Chris and Relative Motion here: www.relativemotion.co.uk. 

Future Tuesdays presents Gone with Carol Moore on Tues 1st of June 2021

Future Tuesdays Presents Gone (2020). Gone is a moving depiction of a woman with dementia (Carol Moore) and her carer son (Darren Franklin) over the course of two days. Directed by Paula McFetridge the insightful script presents a heartfelt and wrenching representation of the effects of dementia on familial love, bonds and responsibilities. With outstanding performances by Moore and Franklin the film was shot during the first lockdown with the director McFetridge receiving the Award of Excellence Special Mention by The Best Shorts Competition. 

Writer -Julie Dutkiewicz 

Actors - Darren Franklin and Carol Moore

Director - Paula McFetridge

Camera/Sound - Ross McClean 

Editor - Stuart Sloan

The launch was hosted by Eddie Lynch, Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland and feature actress Carol Moore. The video features discussion led by the creative team Carol Moore, Julie Dutkiewicz and Paula McFetridge

Eddie Lynch is the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland and started his appointment in June 2016. He was re-appointed for a second, four-year term in June 2020. Prior to his appointment, Eddie was the Chief Executive Officer of Age Sector Platform. In this role, he was responsible for managing the organisation's staff and supporting the organisation's board, committees and wider membership in its policy development and campaigns work. Eddie joined Age Sector Platform in February 2008 having previously worked at the Consumer Council for five years, where he was Head of Consumer Affairs. Previous to that, Eddie worked as an e-Business Consultant and as an I.T. trainer for a number of years.

For more information visit https://www.copni.org/

Carol Moore was co-founder/co-Artistic Director of Charabanc Theatre Company 1983 –’95, their adoption of research and oral interviewing, taking people’s life-experiences and transforming those into theatrical experiences, then delivering it back in non-traditional theatre venues was ground-breaking in reaching new audiences. Charabanc Theatre Co brought Northern Ireland to the attention of international academics and gained both a national/international reputation. Carol’s acting career includes work with many leading Northern Irish companies including Charabanc, the Lyric, Tinderbox, Brassneck and Kabosh as well as international touring to North America, the former Soviet Union, Germany, South Africa and Rwanda. 

Gone was funded by the Future Screens NI Rewriting the Narrative Call in response to Covid-19.

Filmmaker Lucy Baxter launches a Future Screens NI funded virtual reality film to shine light on impact of mental abuse and coercive control

(Left to Right): A Virtual Reality film has been launched to raise awareness of coercive control. Maire McGrath, Mental Abuse Matters, Professor Paul Moore, Future Screens NI, and Lucy Baxter, Mental Abuse Matters and film creator.

A filmmaker has launched a Virtual Reality (VR) film to raise awareness of the impact of mental abuse and coercive control on victims. 

Lucy Baxter, director of domestic abuse charity Mental Abuse Matters and a Film Practice lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast is using Mental Abuse Matters as her PhD subject.

The VR film shows the hard-hitting and traumatic impact of mental abuse on the victim, through an immersive film experience. The project was funded by Future Screens NI and is now being developed into a wider business idea through a Tech Start funded customer discovery process with Qubis.

The pioneering VR film, which depicts a woman who is being mentally abused by her partner, will be used for training those who come into contact with abuse victims, to enable greater understanding of the victim’s experience. 

It is hoped that the film will help raise greater awareness of the impact of mental abuse and coercive control and can be used by those working in health and social care and the criminal justice systems. 

Director of Mental Abuse Matters, Lucy Baxter said:

“Mental abuse and coercive control are lesser known but very real forms of domestic abuse. The abuse can gradually wear down a person’s sense of independence and they may become accustomed to an atmosphere of dread and trepidation, always living in fear that they might unintentionally aggravate an abusive partner. It happens to people of all genders and backgrounds.

“The difficulty with mental abuse is that no one outside the relationship can see the damage that it is causing, because there are no physical signs like bruises or broken bones. The trauma for victims however is very real and terrifying. 

“My aim is to encourage greater understanding and empathy for victims of mental abuse. Using Virtual Reality software, we can create an experience for the user that will allow them to place themselves in the shoes of the victim and get a sense of what they are feeling. This will give those who support abuse victims, first-hand knowledge of what it feels like to be in their position.”

Professor Paul Moore from Future Screens NI said: 

“Coercive control and mental abuse are not often discussed or understood by many people in society. Only in recent years have we become more aware of coercive control as a form of domestic abuse, and it is still hard for many to fully understand the impact on victims because they cannot see physical signs of its impact. 

“Future Screens NI is thrilled to be able to fund innovative projects like the Mental Abuse Matters Virtual Reality film because it shows how film-making can be used in the most innovative ways to educate people about the impact of issues that are challenging to articulate beyond direct experience.  

“The ‘walking on eggshells’ analogy is said all too often, but this immersive film by Lucy allows us that first-hand experience of what that feels like to be a victim. We hope that by funding this important project, it becomes an important training tool in educating professionals about the very real and long-lasting damage that mental abuse causes.”

The Puttnam Scholars Competition 2021 is Now Open Opportunity closes Friday 11th of June at 12 noon

Future Screens NI, Northern Ireland Screen, and Screen Ireland have teamed up with Atticus Education to offer four Northern Ireland residents the opportunity to attend 6 two hour online master classes with Lord David Puttnam (Producer of MIDNIGHT EXPRESS,CHARIOTS OF FIRE, LOCAL HERO, THE KILLING FIELDS, THE MISSION etc.). 

The master classes will be fully interactive and a full engagement by each participant is an essential feature of the programme.  Having attended the entire programme each individual will receive a scholarship from Atticus Education with the support of Accenture Ireland to the value of €1.5k.

Those participating in the master classes will enhance their understanding of the creative process, and the cultural context within which the screen industries operate. The masterclasses will be delivered digitally and will cover the following themes:

·      The power of identity

·      The evolution of creativity

·      Fact or Fiction

·      Builders and Brokers

·      Music and Meaning

·      Interpreting the Future

To be eligible to apply candidates MUST fulfil the following criteria:

·      Be a writer, director, or producer resident in Northern Ireland that has either:

made their first feature (fiction or documentary) or television drama with funding from a broadcaster, distributor, financier, or screen agency in the past three years.

Or

is about to make their first feature (fiction or documentary) or television drama and has that feature (fiction or documentary) or television drama project in active funded development with a broadcaster, distributor, financier, or screen agency.

 Candidates that fit the above criteria should send an email to Nuala Toman n.toman@ulster.ac.uk containing:

·      Evidence of how they fulfil the eligibility criteria.

·      Confirmation of their availability to attend the masterclasses at the above dates and times.

·      Details of how specifically attending each of the above listed masterclasses will advance their project and their career.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria please do not apply.

Applications from graduates of post-graduate screen industry affiliated courses or from people from backgrounds that are currently under-represented in the screen sectors, who fulfil the above criteria, are particularly welcome.

Applicant information is available here. Please download and complete in word.  Online applications are not supported.  Please email completed applications to n.toman@ulster.ac.uk by 12 noon on Friday 11th of June.

Highlights from Creative Industries Clusters Programme April 2021 Newsletter

The recent Creative Industries Clusters Programme April 2021 Newsletter has featured Future Screen NI projects. Below are selected highlights from the newsletter.

Welcome to the April 2021 Clusters newsletter, with the latest on cutting-edge projects, events, launches and lots more from across the Creative Clusters.

Applications Open To Become A Future Foundation Mentee

Mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. As part of the Future Foundation established by Future Screens NI, the first call for mentees will close on 22 April. Mentees will have access to a Future Foundation Mentor who will assist them to become more sustainable post-Covid-19. 

➤  Read more and apply (NOTE: This call has now closed)

Up To £50,000 From Future Screens NI For R&D Led Pre Commercialisation

Future Screens NI Commercialisation Funding is for R&D led product development that is ready for market and has commercial potential, through the stimulation of commercial outcomes with impact. Projects previously funded that can demonstrate significant commercial potential are welcome to apply, alongside new applicants meeting the criteria.

The focus of this funding is to develop a project from Proof of Concept stage through to a point where it can be launched commercially. Applications should clearly demonstrate how the project will employ R&D led strategies to release the commercial potential of a new product, service or production process.  

➤  More info and apply

Access Up To £20,000 From Future Screens For Proof of Concept Innovations

Future Screens NI Proof of Concept Funding is directed towards addressing R&D led challenges at the earliest stage of marketable product development. 

➤  More info and apply

RETìníZE Launch Animotive With HTC VIVE

Funded through Future Screens NI, Animotive is a professional 3D animation production tool that harnesses the power of off-the-shelf VR headsets, allowing users to create 3D animated content for any medium at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional workflows. Working in partnership with HTC, Animotive offers robust body capture and full facial capture - all while wearing a headset - taking affordable performance capture to the next level and proving anyone can be an animator.

➤ Read more

Thrive Launch 'Changing The Game'

Launched last month by Thrive, Changing the Game is a 5-step framework that NI organisations can use to assess and create their own digital offer. Providing a roadmap for digital, tailored to Northern Ireland’s arts and culture organisations’ needs, Thrive Audience Development hosted a roundtable to discuss the findings of the Future Screens NI funded report. Hosted by Thrive, the webinar also included speakers from Future Screens NI and Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics.

➤  Read more and watch webinar

XR Bootcamp Explores Immersive Recruitment & Professional Upskilling In XR At Future Tuesdays

XR Bootcamp Co-Founder Ferhan Özkan recently presented at Future Screens NI's Future Tuesdays event series, as part of XR Bootcamp's mission to build a community of upskilled XR creators. As the world’s first bootcamp for professional upskilling within VR/AR, XR Bootcamp provides cutting edge education experiences that provide participants with the skills, knowledge and ability to create VR/AR applications and assist companies to bridge their skills gap in XR development.

➤  Read more

INCISIV Make Top 50 MediaTech Innovators In The UK

Future Screens NI partner INCISIV Sport have been ranked 43 in UK and 2 in NI within companies who are blazing the trail in Media Tech. INCISIV have pioneered Action Intelligence and are at the forefront of brain decision making and concussion innovation.

➤ Read more

Yellow Design Secure A Place In Intelak Hub Accelerator Programme In Dubai

Funded by Future Screens NI, the AR360 Platform by the innovative team at Yellow Design applies creative thinking to incentivise and reward tourists exploring a smart city. Partners include The Emirates Group, Microsoft, Accenture and Dubai Tourism to deliver an enriched visitor experience within a smarter more sustainable city.

➤Read more