On the first day we got hands-on with a series of workshops including an Introduction to Unity for Artists in Welsh and English, giving artists an opportunity to explore new tools and develop practical skills together. This was followed by the announcement of the Annwn Prize 2027 longlist, the world’s first international award dedicated to celebrating excellence and innovation in immersive storytelling. We then gathered at the end of the beautiful Llandudno Pier for a sunset soiree featuring an incredible performance of Lost Communications: Underwater from Experiment-funded artists An-Ting and Ian Gallagher which brought the underwater world beneath us to life through original audio compositions and visuals.

Day two brought our team, funders and awarded artists together over a cohort breakfast before we were warmly officially welcomed to The Big Thing in English and Welsh by Tom Millen, Director of Crossover Labs, and Lisa Matthew-Jones, Deputy Director of Arts at Arts Council of Wales. We also had some BIG news to share: our Director Verity McIntosh announced that Immersive Arts has been extended for another three years with £8.5m has been secured to continue supporting UK artists working with immersive technologies until 2030.

Throughout the day there were plenty of opportunities to connect, collaborate and, of course, have some fun – from an interactive keynote from artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, to sessions about rejection and sensory overwhelm, to a workshop on starting that project that has been on ice for far too long. We also launched our new Joining the Dots report and UK-wide map, exploring the connections, activity and infrastructure shaping immersive arts across the UK. 

We also hosted a dedicated space for our audience to experience and test projects from our funded artists. Projects were at different stages of development, from early works in progress to more developed pieces and prototypes.

Our Wales in Focus session brought together Welsh artists and organisations to talk about their work, the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, and what the future might look like. Alongside this, Practices of Resistance and other sessions created space to think about how immersive artists are responding to the turbulent and unjust world around them.

Towards the end of the day we rolled up our sleeves and worked together in a special keynote performance of work.txt, before we rounded off the day at a raucous group sharing of failure, a work in progress performance of Pixel Puppets and a late night party with DJ’s, dancing and pool. 

On our final day Quinns, a “play expert” working at gaming journalism’s unkempt fringes hosted his keynote A House Called Play which expanded our thinking around games, play and what immersive can be. Afterwards we were introduced to Radius, a new network of UK-based immersive venues dedicated to nurturing the immersive exhibition ecosystem.

Across the day, we explored new ways to reach audiences, how immersive technologies can open up possibilities for performance, and connected with our British Council-supported Chinese delegation. We also heard from our funders about why their investment matters, took part in a clowning workshop for world-building and undertook some group healing in a session about burnout.

Huge thanks to Crossover Labs for producing The Big Thing, and to our incredible producing team, partners, funders, artists and wider network for making it happen.

Watch our highlight video below.

Video credit: The Big Thing 2026 – Darshan Gajjar – www.darshangajjar.co.uk

Photography credits: The Big Thing 2026 – Laura Lee – www.lauraleephotography.co.uk