Immerse\Interact – 19 projects selected in 2024

In the two rounds of the Immerse\Interact Grant Scheme in 2024, 19 projects were selected for support: 7 in the first round and 12 in the second round.

21 January 2025

general impression

The Immerse\Interact Grant Scheme is aimed at innovative XR productions that explore the future of digital storytelling and utilise VR, MR, AR or other immersive, interactive technologies. The grant scheme is open to both individual makers and producers and provides space for research, concept development and production.

In 2024, many projects focused on inclusion and representation. Makers explore how new technologies can help make underexposed perspectives and stories visible. This is strongly evident, for example, in projects such as INVISIBLE WOMAN and Welcome to the Gaybourhood XR.

In the first round, the focus was often on exploring collective experiences and connection, as in Ensemble. This project explores how VR can contribute to deeper connections between people worldwide.

The second round focused on sensory experiences and the interaction between the physical and digital. Projects such as DeMARE and Color Story: Open Your Eyes investigate how different perspectives and perceptions can be experienced through immersive technology. It was also noticeable that many makers are experimenting with combining different media forms, linking VR and AR with theatre, dance or music.

Palimpsest – Studio Biarritz

selection

A few notable projects from the 2024 selection are:

Palimpsest – Studio Biarritz
For the Palimpsest project, Studio Biarritz and the artist duo Guillaume Roux and Johan Delétang are creating an immersive, interactive installation that explores storytelling traditions through digital technologies, 3D animation, and video games. The artwork creates a choreographed environment in which users can discover their own meaning through games, films, artifacts, and soundscapes. The project aims to give the ancient fire of storytelling a modern twist.

Ensemble – Institute of Time

Ensemble – Institute of Time
Institute of Time puts human connections centre stage with the multiplayer VR project Ensemble. By focusing on hand and body interactions in a multiplayer environment, the project breaks through the isolating effects of conventional VR experiences. The aim is to foster a sense of community and shared creativity among users worldwide through non-verbal communication. The project team, consisting of Sjoerd van Acker, Institute of Time, House of Secrets, Allison Crank and Siem de Boer, is developing a working prototype to demonstrate the concept to potential partners.

Welcome to the Gaybourhood XR – Derk Over

Welcome to the Gaybourhood XR – Derk Over
Welcome to the Gaybourhood XR by Derk Over is a physical XR installation in the form of a two-metre-high doll’s house where a miniature VR actor engages with visitors about queer living. Using Quest 3 VR technology and optical illusions, it creates an interactive experience that shares stories about alternative ways of living together. In the development phase, one room of the house will be developed to test the audience experience, with Queer Arcana as collaborative partner.

INVISIBLE WOMAN – Ado Ato Interactive

INVISIBLE WOMAN – Ado Ato Interactive
In the VR experience INVISIBLE WOMAN by Ado Ato Interactive, visitors are taken back to 1632 to meet Francesca, a free Black woman who played a central role in Amsterdam’s Black community. Using dynamic re-enactments, archival material and modern animations, the project explores historical gaps and their impact on our understanding of Black women in Dutch society. In collaboration with historian Mark Ponte and journalist Ayaan Abukar, the story is being developed for presentation at Felix Meritis to coincide with the celebration of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary.

DeMARE – A Sensory Journey Into the Depths of the Ocean – Filmarcades

DeMARE – A Sensory Journey Into the Depths of the Ocean – Filmarcades
Filmarcades’ multiplayer mixed-reality project DeMARE explores biodiversity and ocean health from two perspectives: traditional fishermen and marine animals. In collaboration with marine biologists from Wageningen University and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, the team is developing an interactive prototype where participants can experience both perspectives. The project, previously selected for platforms such as Venice Production Bridge and VR Days, focuses on developing a final prototype, production plan and distribution strategy for location-based experiences.

numbers

In the first round of 2024, out of 32 applications processed, 7 projects received grants, with a total amount awarded of € 500,000. Of these, four projects received a development contribution and three received a realisation contribution. In the second round, out of 27 applications processed, 12 projects received grants, with a total amount awarded of € 488,385. Of these, nine projects received a development contribution and three received a realisation contribution. A total of 19 projects were therefore supported, of which 13 were development projects and six realisation projects.

follow-up

In 2025, Immerse\Interact remains unchanged. The grant scheme opens on 31 January at 10:00, and closes at 17:00 on Tuesday 1 April. The second deadline of the year is 30 September at 17:00.

Header image: De Oxytocine Machine – Studio VRij