EVENT: Immersive Experiences in Research, An ImmerseLab Training Day

The IDRC DH is excited to offer free places on ‘Immersive Experiences in Research, An ImmerseLab Training Day’, which will take place on Thursday 5th November 2026, 10:00 – 16:30.  in-person, at the Minghella Studios.

Led by immersive producer – and recent UoR Creative Entrepreneur in Residence – Tim Powell, and organised and hosted by IDRC DH co-director, Professor Lisa Purse, in this training day we will explore how XR, multisensory technologies, digital worldbuilding and virtual production are opening up new possibilities for research, creative practice and public engagement.

Through presentations, case studies and collaborative sessions, we’ll look beyond the technology to explore how immersive projects actually happen – from creative decisions, skills and workflows to partnerships, funding, distribution and commercialisation.

We will also look at how you can integrate these elements into your research projects to create peer-reviewed, REF-able outputs.

Whether you’re bringing a specific research question, developing a funded project, exploring an ambitious idea with external partners, or just simply curious, the day will help you discover what ImmerseLab could enable in your own work – and how to increase greater impact and reach.

No specialist technical expertise is required. Come along to discover what’s possible and meet other researchers and external creatives working across disciplines and creative pathways.

10:00 Introductions

What exactly is an immersive experience – and how is this ‘story-doing’ different from traditional storytelling? This session explores and defines the new possibilities, focusing on the modes of immersion and the audience implications of embodiment, presence, and agency. Including a case study of The Gunpowder Plot immersive experience.

11:40 Break 

12:00 New Ways of Working: Immersive Technologies, Digital Worldbuilding and the Virtual Production Ecosystem 

We will start by looking at the technology toolkit at your disposal. What immersive, multi-sensory options are there and how can they be combined? How to focus on unique affordances that are genuinely new, through the ‘superpowers’ framework. We will then look at Worldbuilding as a methodology for immersive storytelling across platforms and the new  ‘virtual production’ ecosystem transforming the creative industries.

13:30 New Ways of Working: Workflows, Skillsets and Team Structures 

Immersive projects often require people to work differently, blending creative, technical, academic and production disciplines in new ways. This session explores the practical realities of delivering interdisciplinary work: agile workflows, prototyping, iterative development, clear roles, effective handovers and team structures.

15:00 Funding, Distribution and Commercialisation 

The history of immersive arts has often been defined by inspirational projects that struggle to reach significant or mainstream audiences – with the market now dominated by corporate LBEs and cynical IP adaptations. This session will explore how landmark projects secured investment and partnerships to create and operate new types of experience, focusing on commercialisation factors that can be embedded in the creative process to increase impact and reach.

Places are limited, so to apply for a place on the training day, please complete the form at this link by Friday, 23^rd October, 5pm. Chosen attendees will be notified of their place by 29th October at the latest, so feel free to put a hold on your calendars for now.