“Unlike more traditional Fellowships, we are encouraging people to make things and be part of an active network of people with extraordinary skills and expertise. Bringing together interdisciplinary research and collaboration and providing opportunity for connecting to new areas of technology with time to think is a magic combination. We can’t wait to support these Fellows in the process” - Vanessa Bellaar Spruijt, Watershed Producer  

The six Fellowships in Residence span:

  • Performance & Audiences in the Metaverse with Condense (a practice-based and academic Fellowship) 
  • Motion and Physical Feedback in VR with Zero Point Motion
  • Researching how AI can affect the creative process in drone light shows with Celestial
  • Exploring new ways of interacting with giant tactile robots with Air Giants
  • Exploring how people with different Disabilities might experience and value various interaction mechanisms in location-based VR with Marshmallow Laser Feast, All Seeing Eye and UWE

The Fellows will complement the teams that are currently developing prototypes as part of the Collaborative Research & Development projects supported by Digital Catapult. These projects are designed to address emerging challenges from across different areas of the Creative Industries. 

We are delighted to support these Fellowships. The CR&D project teams are working at the limits of what's currently possible within each of their specific areas, these Fellows will work alongside those teams complementing and enhancing the R&D being carried out, examining it through additional lenses and bringing new perspectives to the work.” Sarah Addezio, Digital Catapult  

The Fellowships are aimed at freelancers, practitioners, industry and academics. They are intended to be a period of collaborative thinking and experimentation, applying practice, expertise or relevant experience. They are an opportunity to explore ethical questions, consider what makes a meaningful experience for audiences, ask new questions and test high-risk ideas.  

MyWorld believe our work will be stronger with greater diversity and welcome applications from those who are currently underrepresented in the culture, technology and higher education sectors. We understand that each of us brings our experiences, our backgrounds and our own unique lens to what we do so no one is expected to represent any specific groups.  

The six Fellowship opportunities: 

Condense Fellowship in Residence  

£12,000 for six months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with live stage production experience to apply.  

Condense + Understanding Audiences Research Fellowship in Residence (academic) 

£20,000 for ten months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with a background in behavioural science and interest in virtual stage technology, to apply. 

Zero Point Motion Fellowship in Residence  

£12,000 for six months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with games development skills and human and computer interactions (HCI) knowledge to apply.  

Celestial Fellowship in Residence  

£12,000 for six months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with C# programming and/or python coding skills to apply.  

Air Giants Fellowship in Residence  

£20,000 for ten months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with experience in producing audience test events and interest in tactile and bodily interaction, to apply.  

Marshmallow Laser Feast + All Seeing Eye + UWE Fellowship in Residence  

£12,000 for six months at roughly 2.5 days/week. 

We are inviting practitioners with inclusive, user-centred design experience to apply.  

Closing date for all Fellowships in residence: Thursday 20 April 2023 10.00 (BST) 

More Fellowship calls will be announced throughout the year – sign up to MyWorld’s newsletter to hear more about them.  

These Fellowships are part of the MyWorld IDEAS programme, funded by UKRI. Read more about MyWorld. MyWorld is funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) ‘Strength in Places fund’.  

Main Delivery partners: University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath, Bath Spa University, Digital Catapult, Watershed, Aardman Animations, Lux Aeterna, Esprit Film and Television, Bristol Old Vic and Opposable Games.  

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Vanessa Bellaar Spruijt

Vanessa Bellaar Spruijt is currently a producer on the MyWorld programme, a five year programme which will showcase the latest advances in digital production and research.