Goldsmiths, University of London and partners have been awarded £18m to develop research in virtual reality, digital art, data visualisation and graphics, for the benefit of science, society, education and culture.
This new Digital Creativity (DC) Hub will harness the power of digital creativity to provide new technologies for games and interactive media, exploiting the space where they meet. The project will lead the way in developing innovative digital products which enhance our daily lives, from personalised digital health services to the use of interactive media in education, says Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson.
Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Budget that the University of York-led DC Hub is one of six new research centres that will drive forward the UK’s Digital Economy research, knowledge and skills.
The DC Hub will employ 15 of the best impact-driven digital creativity researchers in the world to transfer knowledge and expertise gained from £90m of investment in digital creativity research at Goldsmiths, York, Falmouth and Cass Business School over the last decade.
Professor of Computing William Latham leads the project for Goldsmiths. He says: “Our research and software development team will focus on the core themes of Digital Art and Graphics, Virtual Reality, Data Visualisation, and Procedural Content Generation.
“We are working in close collaboration with the teams across the DC Hub and aim to deliver cutting-edge research and software shaped by our engagement with our industry partners. The DC Hub led by The University of York builds on our close collaboration developed over several years.”
The DC Hub will ensure that:
• Research ideas find a fast route into the marketplace through partnerships with industry.
• Scientists, social scientists, government and the third sector work together to use the enormous potential of games and interactive media to achieve social good.
• Museums, galleries and publishers of games and media maximise the positive impact of the digital world on creative culture.
The DC Hub is co-directed by Professor Peter Cowling and Professor Marian Ursu, University of York.
Example projects include:
• embedding advanced artificial intelligence in commercial digital games through working with industry partners
• working with broadcast companies, producers and performance companies to develop new ways of interacting with TV programmes and theatre performances,
• developing ways to improve engagement with digital archives and digital assets for heritage sites and archaeologists
• engaging with local authorities to help them to reach citizens to understand policy changes through the use of games and media.
The DC Hub partners range from large organisations such as the BBC and Aecom, SMEs, including games companies such as Revolution Software and AI Factory, charities such as Dyslexia Action and New Visuality, and networks and funding organisations such as Game Republic and Creative England.