XR Stories launches new Creative Innovation Sessions

XR Stories has welcomed RO Pictures, and artists Eva McQuade and Mahshid Alavi from York and Leeds to its first creative innovation sessions. 

The creative innovation sessions are the latest opportunity from the University of York project for individuals and businesses working in the Creative Industries. 

The two-hour sessions provide a collaborative and supportive environment for freelancers and SMEs to scope their idea for an extended reality project, product, production or service.

Creative practitioners from York and North Yorkshire can attend in-person innovation sessions in the XR Stories immersive R&D lab. The opportunity is also open to individuals and businesses working in the creative sector across the UK on an online basis. 

The teams met with the XR Stories’ creative producing team to discuss their project ideas, map out audience experience and technical pathways, and explore funding mechanisms. They took away next steps, example works and provocations to propel their project momentum. 

John Rose-Adams, Associate Director Research, Development and Innovation, XR Stories comments: “Ideation has always been at the heart of what we do at XR Stories. Since we started life back in 2018 we’ve been helping businesses and individuals to scope creative and technical elements of their projects, explore funding routes and connect with collaborators. The new Creative Innovation Sessions simply put a structure around this process to open up the opportunity to more people.”

Damian Murphy, Director of XR Stories and XR Network+ comments: “The Creative Ideation Sessions complement our existing support and service provisions. They slot into the XR Stories pipeline of opportunities including creative and research residencies, creative technology skills training and facilities hire to boost innovation and growth in the creative sector at a regional and national level. 

Submit a request for a creative innovation session.

Published on 22 May 2026