Explore

What would you do with £5,000 to explore immersive arts?

If you have a creative practice but little or no experience of immersive arts/ technologies, you could get funding, support and advice to be curious and spark some new thinking.

Ideal for...

The Explore strand of funding aims to support artists with:

  • early stage exploration of immersive technologies
  • developing basic immersive arts skills and knowledge
  • experiencing immersive artworks
  • meeting potential collaborators and partners
  • expanding their networks

Focus

Successful applicants will be supported for up to six months
(ie for the duration of their projects) by the Immersive Arts producers and wider network.

Timeline

  • 29 Sep 2025 Application deadline
  • Jan 2026 Applicants notified
  • Feb - Jul 2026 Explore Projects carried out

Why apply for Explore?

Are you an artist with a curious mind who’d like to explore immersive arts/ technologies?

You could use the Explore funding for:

  • exploring how different immersive technologies could engage audience engage with your work
  • researching or developing ideas for an immersive arts project
  • attending residencies, relevant events and workshops
  • accessing training and other forms of support
  • buying materials, software licences and other technical tools
  • paying artists, technologists and other collaborators
  • hiring studio, rehearsal, exhibition or event spaces
  • researching accessibility options for audiences’ access needs
  • making audience testing or exhibitions more accessible, diverse and inclusive (by, for eg, paying for BSL interpreters, accessible formats, captioning, etc).

See our funding guidelines below for a full breakdown of eligibility costs.

Alongside the funding we offer bespoke training and support:

  • 3 x meetings with an Immersive Arts Producer
  • Facilitated peer-to-peer network
  • Nation-specific events and opportunities

Explore Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for Explore funding if:

  • you are an individual artist, creative practitioner or creative technologist
    (or)
  • you are applying on behalf of an arts-based organisation, small group or collective (10 people or fewer)
  • are based in the UK
  • are aged 18 or over
  • have a UK bank account in your own name
  • you have little or no experience in immersive arts
  • your proposal is artist-led and/or arts-focussed and explores the use of immersive technology in your creative practice
  • you are applying for the full amount
  • your budget includes payment for your time and others involved in the activity, and does not include any ineligible costs

Eligible artists can submit one application in this round of funding, to either Explore, Experiment or Expand. You can apply for this round of funding regardless of whether you applied in a previous round.

How to apply

You can apply by audio, video or text, and in English, Welsh, or British Sign Language using our application portal.

Our funding guidelines are available to download below in English, Welsh, large print, Easy Read, British Sign Language and audio.

When to apply

The deadline for applications is Monday 29 September 2025 at 14:00.

Access support for your application

In some cases, we can help you with your application by supporting access costs, like support workers or interpreters.

The deadline to request access support is Monday 1 September 2025 at 17:00.

You can find more information about access support and how to contact us on our access support page.

Application guides

Have any questions?

Other funding strands

There are three different strands of funding;

  • Explore (£5,000)
  • Experiment (£20,000)
  • Expand (£50,000)

 

You can find out more on our Funding page.

Unsure which funding strand to apply for?

Helpful resources

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