StoryFutures Academy Final Report

StoryFutures Academy, the UK's National Centre for Immersive Storytelling run by the National Film and Television School and Royal Holloway, University of London was a pioneering initiative and part of the UK Research and Innovations’ £33 million Audience of the Future industrial strategy challenge fund and the AHRC’s Creative Industries Clusters Programme, bridged the gap between academic research and the creative industries.

From its inception StoryFutures Academy provided cutting-edge training and supported the use of immersive technologies to tell stories and engage with new audiences, enabling nearly 10,000 individuals—including over 1,300 current screen professionals and hundreds of next-generation creatives—to develop skills around emergent technologies within Virtual Production and Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality. By fostering innovation and de-risking creative endeavours, the Academy supported over 900 jobs and leveraged an impressive £11.5 million in co-investment for innovation projects.

This interdisciplinary initiative has been crucial in equipping the UK workforce to stay ahead of rapid technological changes, ensuring that the creative sector remains globally competitive and dynamic. Our report offers an in-depth look into the work StoryFutures Academy has undertaken to upskill and grow the immersive workforce, showcasing its significant contributions to the sector's development.