ClwstwrVerse is a FREE event on Monday 4 July at City Hall, Cardiff, that features an exciting programme of interactive workshops, demos, talks, and experiences, showcasing the latest innovations in media, arts, and culture.
The event, which is the culmination of three years of ground-breaking research and development (R&D) into future-focused products and experiences, will highlight some of the nation’s best creative talent – and include sessions with Ffilm Cymru Wales and BBC MakerBox, alongside experiences from Yello Brick and Hijinx Theatre.
Attendees can explore virtual production, the omniverse, and news models of the future, with the opportunity to meet the creatives behind more than 100 Clwstwr projects and hear about media innovation happening locally, nationally, and internationally.
Audiences can experience a spatial audio mix of Welsh musicians, Gruff Rhys, UK top ten 2021 album Seeking New Gods, developed alongside the BBC’s MakerBox tool, audio orchestrator. The BBC team will be on-site to showcase the technology and the other tools in their toy chest. While those fascinated by Web 3.0 and the metaverse, can attend a talk with Greg Reed, Vice President of Technology Partnerships and Innovation at Universal Pictures.
Award-winning design studio Painting Practice – who’ve worked on worked on global productions including Black Mirror and His Dark Materials – are leading a talk on their revolutionary virtual production filmmaking tool, Plan V.
Creative Director, Dan May, explained how the tool, which allows creators to remotely explore 3D sets, scenes, and worlds, has been an industry game-changer:
“Since founding the company 12 years ago, we’ve wanted to design sets and environments from start to finish. Plan V allows users to jump in, iterate and see results immediately.”
Since 2019, Clwstwr – which is part of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme, funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and delivered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UK Research and Innovation – has funded over 100 innovations in the screen and news sectors. It’s hoped that this investment in emerging talent will cement Wales’ place as a global leader in media innovation.
Rebecca Hardy, who developed an augmented reality (AR) app Reel Reality out of the Clwstwr Ideas Lab, explained how her love of film, fan culture, and Wales’ iconic filming locations spurred her creativity:
“Walking around Cardiff Bay, I'd see people pointing out different locations, saying things like, ‘that's the entrance to Torchwood!' As a fellow enthusiast, I wondered if there could be something to accompany that fan tourism activity. With Reel Reality, you can unlock exclusive video content and AR items, such characters, props, and set pieces, to create your own AR film set.”
Professor Justin Lewis, Director of Clwstwr, said:
“ClwstwrVerse brings together three years of work with more than 100 creative companies to bring to life a raft of exciting ideas.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to see all this innovation in one time and place. There’s something for everyone here: new forms of film, TV and games, immersive and inventive media in sectors from tourism to healthcare, new forms of news that extend democratic participation for a wide range of audiences, and much, much more. This a chance to sample or engage with the best of Welsh creative innovation – don’t miss it!”
