XR Stories and SIGN publish end of project report

A new report highlights the economic, social and cultural impact of XR Stories and the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) across the creative industries in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Since 2018, XR Stories has engaged with more than 600 companies across the region. From research and development funding, technical resources and expertise, to training, internships and bursaries, the project has enabled businesses to grow and innovate, and individuals to gain new skills and confidence to progress their careers. 

XR Stories’ sister project, SIGN, has trained, empowered, and upskilled individuals and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber to build a more knowledgeable, diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Both projects have worked with partners from across higher education, industry, government, and the third sector to build a collaborative community of researchers, companies and creatives.

“As the first chapter of XR Stories draws to a close and the second phase of the project commences, the ongoing legacy of our activities will continue to reverberate through the creative industries,” says Damian Murphy, Director of XR Stories.

“Through our new XR Network+ project we will leverage the pioneering research and development, workflows and relationships established during the last five years to grow a new collaborative network that will drive innovation in virtual production across the UK. 

The evolution of XR Stories coincides with the University of York bringing one of the newly announced CoSTAR Labs to our region. CoSTAR LiveLab is a brand new state-of-the-art research and development facility at Production Park in Wakefield that will advance our creative industries through access to the R&D infrastructure they need to innovate and grow.”

Duncan Petrie, Director of SIGN, comments, “SIGN has supported businesses with their skills and training, empowered individuals and facilitated career progression for under-represented and marginalised groups in the Yorkshire and Humber screen industries. The work of initiatives like SIGN is vital for the continuing health of the screen industries in our region and beyond.”

Visit the XR Stories publications web page to download the report.

Published on 23 November 2023