FutureStage XR: XR Training for the Performing Arts

Applications are now open for FutureStage XR: XR Training for the Performing Arts, September to November 2025.

Future Stage XR is an intensive training programme for professional artists ready to reimagine their practice in the world of Extended Reality (XR). This programme invites performance and interdisciplinary artists to dive into immersive technologies—VR, AR, motion capture, AI, game engines — and explore how they can radically transform live performance.

This programme is about equipping artists with the language, understanding, and hands-on experience they need to engage meaningfully with XR technologies. By demystifying the tools and workflows behind immersive media, we empower performers to articulate their creative vision with clarity—so they can collaborate confidently with technical teams and push the boundaries of what’s possible in performance.

Over the course of ten weeks, participants will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools, collaborate with technologists and academics, and develop experimental XR performance concepts in a studio-lab environment. The programme will consist of a blend of online and in-person learning, with a total of five online lectures and five in-person workshops at Queen’s University Media Lab.

The course will include training in the following areas:  

• Introduction to XR technologies
• Augmented Reality
• Virtual Reality
• Computer Vision AI
• Motion Capture
• Real-Time 3D App Development
• Who this programme is for:
• Professional artists working in live performance
• Production managers/officers
• Writers
• Sound/lighting/AV technicians with limited prior knowledge of XR

Eligibility: 

• This is a beginners’ programme tailored to artists with little to no experience of XR.
• You must be able to evidence that you have been working in the arts/creative industries for at least two years.
• You must be able to commit to five days of in-person workshops on the dates below and 1-2 hours of online learning a week.
• You must be resident in Northern Ireland.

Key Dates: 

• Applications Open: 17 June 2025
• Applications Close: 1 August 2025
• Places awarded: 27 August 2025 \
• Introductory Workshop: 15 September 2025 (QUB Capture Lab)
  Weekly Lectures: 22 Sept-20 October (Online)
• 2-day workshop: 3-4 November (QUB Capture Lab)
• 2-day workshop: 10-11 November (QUB Capture Lab)

What participants will gain: 

• A clear understanding of XR technology and its creative possibilities
• Foundational skills in Unity for XR development
• Insight into crafting compelling stories in immersive media
• A practical roadmap for applying XR to new or existing projects
• Participants who complete the course will also be eligible to apply for the Future Foundation Technical Mentorship Programme. This opportunity pairs artists with XR experts to develop and test a creative concept. The programme includes: Access to XR equipment and facilities; A training support grant of £1500; A chance to showcase work in progress.

Further details about the technical mentorship programme will be announced later in the year.

To apply, visit Future Screens.