CoSTAR Live Lab Call: New Frontiers for Live Performance

CoSTAR Live Lab invites companies, technologists, and creatives to help us shape the future of live performance. 

Sign up for our webinar Friday 21 February 12.30-13.30

OVERVIEW

The CoSTAR Live Lab invites companies, technologists, and creatives to help us shape the future of live performance. Based at Yorkshire’s world-renowned Production Park – where icons like Beyoncé, Metallica, and The Rolling Stones prepare for their world tours - the CoSTAR Live Lab offers a unique setting for innovation.

Our capabilities include isolated experimental spaces, marker less motion capture, high resolution immersive audio and scalable virtual production all supported by a team of leading researchers with expertise in the use of immersive and virtual technologies, virtual production workflows, user experience, and the ethical use of AI for the creative industries. 

This call invites applications from teams with creative R&D projects focussed on the live performance sector, that would benefit from access to the CoSTAR Live Lab’s cutting-edge infrastructure to accelerate and advance their innovation activity.

In addition, applicants can apply for cash funding of up to £13,000 to contribute to the costs of their R&D project. In total, the support package on offer is valued at over £100,000 per project. 

WHO IS IT FOR?

We are seeking proposals from industry-focussed innovators that are tackling the unique challenges of the live performance sector, from advanced digital production workflows to audience engagement, with a focus on sustainability and scalability. We are excited to see what new creative and technical possibilities you will develop through access to our advanced R&D infrastructure.  

These projects will also help the CoSTAR Live Lab to trial, test and showcase new ways of supporting R&D in the creative industries. 

The projects selected through this call are expected to deliver tangible outputs. These may be early-stage prototypes or proof-of-concept demonstrations, or later stage product developments that leverage the CoSTAR Live Lab’s advanced infrastructure.  

This call seeks projects that will push the boundaries of immersive and interactive experiences across key application areas, including (but not limited to): 

• Live Performance and Hybrid Events 

• Virtual Production 

• Audience Engagement and Interaction 

• Networked and Distributed Performances 

• Volumetric Capture and Motion Tracking 

• Spatial Audio and Sound Reinforcement 

• Future Venue Design 

• Creative and Immersive Technology Development 

More detail on the above can be found in the Call Brief document, which is available to download here. 

SOCIAL IMPACT 

Environmental Sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are central to our work at CoSTAR and all our Access Programmes. All projects, regardless of their main R&D focus, are expected to have a demonstrable engagement with either EDI, sustainability or both. This will be supported by training and mentorship in areas that include; equitable design, developing environmental sustainability principles and working with diverse user groups.   

For more detail on this and guidance on what to include in your proposal, please see the full Call Brief document here. 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)  

Successful applicants will own any new IP created through their projects, however, some terms and conditions will apply. Please see the section on IP in the full Call Brief document for more details. 

WHAT IS ON OFFER?

CoSTAR support for this call offers a combination of access to equipment and facilities, research expertise, and additional cash funding to support project costs. The total value of this support package is valued at over £100,000 per project. Up to three projects will be funded as part of this open call. 

Successful projects will have the opportunity to access:  

• up to two intensive one-week development sprints at the CoSTAR Live Lab. This includes on-boarding and orientation on the required equipment by our technical team. Please see description of the Live Lab facilities here.

• research staff will guide and collaborate with you during the tenancy, and will also be able to provide up to 10 days of ad-hoc support outside of these sprint windows over the project’s total duration. Please see description of the CoSTAR Live Lab’s research expertise here.

• cash funding of up to £13,000 to contribute towards costs in undertaking the project, such as contracting performers, interaction design, editing, consumables etc. Please see section on Eligible Costs in the full Call Brief which is available to download (see section on How to Apply). 

• in addition, if a project requires a period of residency (two or more days) at the CoSTAR Live Lab and if travel distance is more than two hours from that lab, a company stipend of up to £4,000 is available to support travel and accommodation. 

WHO CAN APPLY?

This competition invites applications from teams across the UK. Teams may include a variety of UK-based companies, technologists, researchers and creative practitioners, however, the lead applicant must be a UK-based company and demonstrate a high level of ambition to deliver technological advancement and business growth in its application to creative industries challenges.   

Organisations applying must meet the following Eligibility Criteria: 

• Have a lead applicant that is an enterprise or legal entity registered and trading in the UK

• Be from or support the screen and/or performance sectors

• Have an operations and/or project team based in the UK.  

• Intend to carry out any project work arising from this award in the UK

• Intend to exploit the results of work from or in the UK

• Only include eligible project costs in their application (see guidance on Eligible Costs in the Call Brief document)

• Not attribute more than 75% of project costs to subcontractors. Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please complete the online application form on the Submittable platform by the deadline of 5pm on Thursday 20 March, 2025. You will be informed in writing of the outcome within 8 weeks of the closing date. 

Please make sure you have read all of the information available for this call, found in the following document: 

For more information, please register for our webinar on Friday 21 February 12.30-13.30 GMT.

CALL BRIEF

Call Brief document here

ACCESSIBLE APPLICATIONS

Support is available for those who require assistance with the application process. Reasonable adjustments may include:   

• Submitting an application via a form in Microsoft Word format (available upon request). 

• Options made available for video or audio submissions in place of written answers for each section in the application. 

• All webinars will be accessible with visual/written briefs made available for review during and after the event. 

• Individual requests for access support will be accommodated wherever possible and equitable. 

To request application support, please contact costar.pilots@rhul.ac.uk  

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• The problem that your innovation seeks to address is well defined.  

• The proposed solution is clear and achievable. 

• The specific R&D focus and/or innovation of the project is novel and well-articulated*. 

• The proposed solution has strong commercial value, with an appropriate route to market.  

• The project team has strong leadership, and the range of skills and experience needed to deliver the project. 

• The project management plan and approach to risk management is appropriate and achievable*. 

• The request for CoSTAR support is clear and reasonable. 

• There is a clear rationale for why CoSTAR support is required to progress and/or accelerate the project. 

• The project is of clear value to the performance and/or screen sectors. 

• There is a strong approach to engaging with Social Impact (EDI and/or Environmental Sustainability).  

* denotes criteria that will receive double weighting during the assessment process.

TIMELINE

Open Date for Applications: Thursday 6 February 2025 

Closing Date for Applications: Thursday 20 March 2025 17.00 GMT

Application Outcome: You will be informed in writing of the outcome within 8 weeks of the closing date. 

Project Start and Duration: Projects can be up to 3 months in duration and must begin after 1 May 2025 and end no later than 31 October 2025.