Open Call for the African XR Realities Lab

What do African realities look like now and how do we facilitate XR projects from Africa, for Africa?

Are you an African artist or creative technologist living and working in Africa willing to engage in a new set of digital skills, like photogrammetry, volumetric capture, LiDAR, as well as software like UNITY, amongst others. If you’re unafraid to learn and potentially fail during the lab, please apply!

African XR Realities
Call for Applications

Electric South and Meta invites you to apply to the African XR Realities Lab.

The lab is a chance to discover what our XR worlds look like, in both fiction and non-fiction narratives, from a pan-African group of artists and creative technologists. The lab will take place in Cape Town, South Africa from 23 June – 2 July 2023.

We are looking for eight prototypes to incubate through the African XR Realities Lab that use a range of immersive technologies and workflows, including reality capture and game engine world building for VR.

Artists working at an advanced level in a wide array of artistic forms are welcome to apply, these include game designers, filmmakers, creative technologists, visual and performance artists, architects, fashion designers and musicians, amongst others.

Prototypes can range in scope, from 3DOF to 6DoF VR experiences, with a focus on both fiction and non-fiction narratives. The lab’s emphasis is on using game engines like Unity, as well as the opportunity to experiment in reality capture tools like photogrammetry and volumetric video.

If selected all flights, visa costs, transport, accommodation, and meals will be covered by the Lab.

About the Lab

The lab is for African artists and creative technologists working at an advanced level in their creative practice, who are digitally proficient, who want to learn, experiment, play and create in advanced reality capture tools.
You do not need to be technically proficient in the tools on offer at the lab but need a healthy dose of enthusiasm for technology and a willingness to undergo a steep learning curve in your technical knowledge and proficiency.
The lab is geared toward the training and capacity building of the artists and creative technologists in residence, the outcome being prototypes and a completed pitch deck which can be used to mobilise further resources.

What we will do

Provide dedicated, one-on-one support from onsite creative technologists.
Provide the environment in which to experiment in reality capture tools like photogrammetry and volumetric video.
Provide a series of pre-lab online learning sessions and 10-days in residence in Cape Town, South Africa in June 2023.

When does the Lab take place?

Pre-lab online sessions from 29 May – 1 June 2023.

In-person from 23 June – 2 July 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa (full-time).

Prototyping will take place during the lab, with prototypes presented on the final day, 2 July 2023.

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

Be an African artist and/or creative technologist, living and working in Africa.
Have proven experience using digital and/or immersive technologies at the intersection of your creative practice.
Be at an advanced stage in their creative practice/field/sector (5+ years).
Be willing to learn new digital skills, work in unfamiliar and/or new software as well as digital tools.

How to apply?

The application form requires that you:

Tell us about yourselves (short 1 minute video clip).
Tell us about your interest in the Lab and what you would like to learn.
Tell us about your XR project.
Tell us about your creative practice.
Tell us about your experience — Applicants should have completed one AR/VR/XR project. (If you have used these technologies to create related projects, but not AR/VR/XR, these will be considered) – links are required.
Include your creative concept materials — this must include links to visual or audio references. This could be a mood board, compilation of work that inspires you, etc. We want to understand your aesthetic intentions for your XR idea.

Project ideas must:

Utilise one or a combination of the following: Unreal, UNITY, volumetric capture, photogrammetry, LiDAR or similar.

If you have used some or all of the following software, or have some degree of familiarity with the below, this will be advantageous:

Important dates

Please complete and submit your application by 11.59pm SAST on 23 April 2023.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to online interviews between 2 - 4 May 2023.
All successful applicants will be notified by 12 May 2023.
Pre-lab sessions will run online from 29 May - 1 June 2023
The in-person lab will run from 23 June - 2 July 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa (full-time, please note travel days are 22 June and 3 July respectively).
Prototypes are completed during the lab and presented on the final day, 2 July 2023.

If you have not heard from us by 12 May 2023 please note that your application has been unsuccessful.

Any questions? Please contact [email protected]

The Partners

Electric South is a non-profit company based in Cape Town, South Africa. We provide mentorship, production services, funding and exhibition for a network of artists across Africa to explore their worlds through immersive, interactive stories including virtual and augmented reality, and other digital media. To date we’ve produced immersive experiences that have premiered at various global festivals and exhibition spaces including Venice VR Expanded, Sundance New Frontier, IDFA DocLab, Transmediale, Sheffield DocFest, Centre Phi, MUTEK and vNAF (virtual National Arts Festival of South Africa). We remain committed to building inclusive spaces for immersive media creators in Africa.

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

Partners

Electric South, Meta