Belfast XR Festival has launched a £200,000 ($270,000) immersive media development programme aimed at addressing a key gap in the UK’s immersive media ecosystem.
Backed by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, the Amplify: XR Labs will offer early-stage support to emerging producers working on narrative-led XR and immersive projects.
The programme is open to 10 UK-based teams led by emerging producers, including a director or writer and a creative technologist, and is open to applicants new to XR with relevant creative experience.
Eligible projects must be narrative-led immersive works using XR technologies, with the aim of progressing toward production, market readiness, and distribution.
“A strategic shift”
Selected teams will receive a £1,772 ($2,400) stipend per member, a three-day in-person residency in Belfast, mentoring, masterclasses and prototyping support. They will also be granted access to a UK finance and distribution market, alongside covered travel, accommodation, and accessibility costs.
“I am absolutely delighted to launch Amplify: XR Labs,” said Belfast XR festival director Deepa Mann-Kler.
“This programme represents a strategic shift for Belfast XR Festival, moving beyond showcasing work to actively strengthening the UK’s immersive ecosystem at its most critical point: early-stage producer development.”
Applications are open until February 6th, 2026. Successful projects will be announced one week later.
Steve is an award-winning editor and copywriter with more than 20 years’ experience specialising in consumer technology and video games. With a career spanning from the first PlayStation to the latest in VR, he's proud to be a lifelong gamer.
