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An audience viewing images of Norfolk coastal erosion on a 360 LED screen.
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An audience viewing a 3D image of Elm Hill in Norwich on a 360 LED screen.

Norwich’s ground-breaking creative technology facility hosts UKRI

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Norwich University of the Arts hosts the leadership team from UKRI, the largest public funder of research and innovation in the UK.

An audience viewing a 3D image of Elm Hill in Norwich on a 360 LED screen.

UKRI visit Norwich’s Immersive Visualisation Lab

Members of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) visited the University’s Immersive Visualisation Lab on 19 October to find out more about our research around immersive environments. 

The facility is the first of its kind in the UK, and brings together film makers, animators, games designers and visual artists from across the region to communicate and address global challenges.

Combining volumetric capture, virtual production and immersive display, the facility is to be used for research, knowledge exchange and teaching. Having been awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Creative Research Capability fund earlier this year, a team of academics, technicians and industry partners have spent an intense six months assembling, testing and commissioning work for the facility. 

The Immersive Visualisation Lab is comprised of four main elements: 

It brings these elements together in a space for experimentation and research, which is unmatched in the UK and only the second in Europe.

“The creative arts play a crucial role in understanding and addressing global challenges. rnFrom exploring the consequences of climate change to conservation of the local area, Norwich University of the Arts is leveraging expertise, equipment and facilities to address sustainability issues. rnThe facilities UKRI has funded here will support interactions between academia and industry, bringing together the right people to deliver world-class impact.”

Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UKRI

The facility has already convened a diverse cluster of researchers, industry specialists and partners. This includes the University of East Anglia, Anglia Ruskin University, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, October Studios, Broads Authority, Tyndall Centre, Collusion and Vamplify.

Although still in its early stages of development, the lab is being utilised for the ‘Living In Changing Landscapes’ project, which will explore the impact of rising sea levels on communities living in the Broads and East Anglian coastal region.
The facility will provide a space for visual storytelling, looking at the past, present and future of these landscapes in order to engage with impacted communities to explore ways they can prepare for and adapt to their changing environment. 

The lab also presents an exciting opportunity to attract international partners to Norwich by offering a one-stop-shop for these different creative technologies, supported by a community of academics and industry practitioners with growing knowledge of its possibilities. 

“Having the Immersive Visualisation Lab in Norwich is a fantastic asset not just for the University’s own teaching and research, but for the development of the screen sector in Norwich and Norfolk. Co-developed with industry partners, it is a facility which will allow businesses to experiment at the forefront of creative technology, giving them a significant competitive edge and attracting international investment to our region.”

Sarah Steed, Director of Knowledge Exchange and Entrepreneurship

Header image by BA (Hons) Photography lecturer Denisa Ilie

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