New Immersive Arts Degree looking at XR, AR & VR Launches in Liverpool, UK
In September 2019, Liverpool Screen School and Liverpool School of Art and Design will be launching a new MA in Immersive Arts exploring immersive storytelling experiences, augmented reality, projection mapping, interactive environments, holographics and mixed reality content production and experience design.
The MA Immersive Arts is a pioneering degree where students will explore and experiment with making applications, prototypes and experiences in augmented reality, mixed reality, projection mapping, holographics, future screens and virtual reality. It is run collaboratively between the Liverpool Screen School and the Liverpool School of Art and Design in dedicated lab facilities, with access to cutting-edge equipment, software and practical research expertise.
From design, education, marketing and health to entertainment, arts and theatre, immersive technologies have been making an impact across a number of sectors over the last few years. This course will prepare students with the skills and conceptual abilities to develop content, experiences and applications for a number of industries.
Exploring techniques and innovation in immersive storytelling, experience design, content creation, artistic practice, exhibition and installation. This course will enable students to develop the next generation of spatial experiences in an industry that is predicted to have a huge growth over the next decade.
It expands on the University’s internationally recognised research and teaching from media, film, art and design- which includes research across immersive arts, immersive documentary and fiction production, 3d digital art, augmented reality, mixed reality, holographics, virtual reality and immersive theatre. The team behind it has recently put on the Immersive Storytelling Research Symposium, involving industry and academics from across the UK to explore the future of research in these growing mediums.
It is aimed at creatives with diverse backgrounds in digital art & design, media & film, animation and 3d modelling, motion graphics, computer science & games, theatre and music production. This interdisplinary course is designed to appeal to people looking at developing and shaping their immersive practice and creative skills.
Peter Woodbridge, Programme Leader, says “It’s a really exciting time to be working at the intersection of creativity, storytelling, digital arts and emerging technology. We wanted to design a course that wasn’t just focused on virtual reality headsets, although we cover that too, and we are incorporating a wide range of practical immersive technology skills into the programme. This includes spatial experience design, sensor-based projection mapping, augmented reality, binaural sound, physical-digital art practice and new capture, simulation and display techniques and technologies.”
“Students on this course will be investigating and inventing new ways to engage audiences in spatial story and arts experiences by learning about what happens when our definitions of media arts go beyond the screen. Its about making new possibilities, ideas, experiences, installations and applications for engaging audiences across a number of areas.”.
The course is being developed in consultation with creative industry, arts and wider business partners, including a number of national companies and organisations, as well as Liverpool’s and the North West’s thriving immersive technology sector. It will be housed in a brand new facility in the John Lennon Art and Design Building in Liverpool.