Immersive Arts Programme

Immersive Arts Phase Two

Funds immersive technology creative practice across the United Kingdom to drive cultural and economic innovation.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

Immersive Arts Phase Two is a large consortium grant co-funded by AHRC, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, and Creative Scotland, designed to advance creative practice using immersive technologies and stimulate economic growth across all four UK nations. It represents the second phase of AHRC's strategic investment in extended reality (XR), spatial audio, and immersive narrative as areas of creative industry innovation.

The total fund is £8,800,000, with a maximum award of £8,350,000 available to a single consortium over three years. Projects were required to commence by 1 February 2027. The grant is invite-only — a direct invitation from UKRI is required before an organisation can submit an application. Consortia must include a minimum of five UK partners: at least two English organisations (one based outside London), one from Northern Ireland, one from Scotland, and one from Wales, ensuring equitable four-nations representation. For-profit organisations cannot lead; arts organisations, universities, and non-profits are the eligible applicant types.

The grant targets research and development that drives commercial adoption of immersive technologies within the UK's creative industries. The four-nations structure and devolved arts council co-funding mean that successful consortia will need proven cross-regional collaboration infrastructure and programming capacity. The application window for this cohort closed 11 June 2026. A Phase Three investment is anticipated within the 2026–2030 spending review period, making this a recurring strategic programme worth tracking for future eligibility.