The Immerse UK Awards, announced at the 2022 Beyond Conference in Cardiff, aims to help connect students to the XR industry. The idea is to discover where the best XR talent is coming from in the UK, and to bridge the pathway from academic learning to real world problem solving.
Click here to start your application for the Awards.
Supported by Immerse UK’s Advisory Board and Academic Working Group, this is a first of its kind competition for UK students building innovative ideas, experiences or projects for the XR industry. Students will be able to submit their work to a judging panel of industry experts for a chance to win a number of prizes, including an opportunity to interview with Arup and Edify for the two grand prize paid internship placements.
Design Workshop
Applications open 23 January 2023 and close on 27 March 2023. A Design Workshop for interested applicants was held on 8 February 2023 to meet Arup and Edify, learn about the 5 categories for submission, and hear what judges are looking for from applicants. Watch the recording below. The first round of judging will take place from 3-17 April, with 2 finalists announced for each of the 5 categories on 18 April.
Immerse UK Awards overview slides
About the Awards
The 10 selected finalists will be invited to pitch to judges at a virtual Pitch Day on 26 April.
The 10 finalists will then have private virtual interviews with ARUP & Edify over the following two weeks.
All ten finalists will be invited to London to showcase their work (travel fees included) at the Immerse UK Award Reception at ARUP’s headquarters in London on 10 May 2023, where the five category winners, and the two grand prize internship winners will be announced.
Internship arrangements will be made directly with Arup and Edify for each grand prize winner. See the FAQs page for the complete timeline.
There are 5 categories in the Awards:
- Digital Art & Creative Storytelling
- Sensory
- Technical Innovation
- UX & UI Design
- Best Overall Experience
Submissions will be judged on their execution, creativity, functionality, innovative approach, and potential.
See the 5 Awards Categories page for details.
Who can enter?
To enter you must be currently registered on a UK degree programme, undergraduate to postgraduate. This will be verified via a supervisor letter of confirmation with recommendation included. Postgraduate work is eligible for submission up to 1 year from your degree programme for work undertaken during your student status, via the same verification of a supervisor letter of confirmation.
Prizes
The 10 finalist prizes include:
- 1 year of Immerse UK membership
- An opportunity to interview with ARUP and Edify for the internship placements
- An invitation to showcase their work & network with industry leaders in London at the Immerse UK Awards Reception on May 10th
The 5 category winner prizes include (in addition to finalist prizes):
- 1 year of individually curated mentorship based on career goals
- A Pico or Meta VR headset
The 2 grand prizes include (in addition to finalist & category prizes):
- a paid internship offer from ARUP or Edify, with the possibility for extension
How to apply
Individual applicants will have to record a short video (3 minutes or less, you will not be judged on high production video quality; a Zoom recording is fine) and fill in the application form with more details about your project. Click here for more details of what the video should cover, and the questions that you will be asked when applying.
FAQs
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.
Judges
Meet the judging panel, composed of industry leaders from the Immerse UK community, primarily from the advisory board and Academic Working Group.
Submit your entry
Click here to register for the Awards and begin your application.
Listen
Immerse UK Awards lead Amy Chao interviewed on The Immersive Media Podcast
Immerse UK Awards Reception 10 May in London
Join us at the Immerse UK Awards Reception on 10th May 2023, 5.30-8.30pm, hosted at Arup’s London HQ, for a showcase of the 10 finalists’ work, and exciting unveiling of the winners of the 5 awards categories and 2 grand prize internships with Arup and Edify. Tickets for the evening cost £50 which includes refreshments and exciting activities throughout. (Premium members are entitled to a free ticket; contact the Immerse UK team if you have not received details about this.) Click here to book your place.