Future Art and Culture at UK House

FAC Ambassador Roundtable (by invitation)

The immersive art and entertainment sector is one of the fastest growing creative disciplines globally. The UK continues to incubate leading global talent and award winning work, however an ecosystem to support this industry has yet to be established. Bringing together key funders and stakeholders, this roundtable will discuss how to create sustainable ecosystems across funding, collaboration and distribution.

In Conversation — From the Ground Up: how the UK is supporting the XR and immersive sector

From Soul Paint by Hatsumi (SXSW XR Experience winner 2024) to Consensus Gentium by Karen Palmer (Grand Jury prize for SXSW Immersive 2023) UK artists have been taking the world by storm. In 2024, over a million people danced the night away at Abba Voyage, and immersive installation venue, the Outernet became London's most popular visitor attraction, overtaking the Natural History Museum and British Museum.

But despite some incredible success stories, it remain stubbornly difficult for artists of all backgrounds to access the resources needed to create XR and immersive works. It is often harder still to find ways to tour and share their work with audiences at scale. In this panel, UK funders, producers and artists will talk about the UK scene, hustle culture, and what is needed now to create an inclusive, international, immersive ecosystem.

Networking Event – UK Immersive Networking Party

(featuring a live performance by SXSW Showcasing artist Dilettante)

Ristband - Future X Music

Future Art and Culture are teaming up with award-winning creative studio Ristband who return for a brand new Future x Music showcase, the biggest they have presented at SXSW. Taking over UK House, which FAC are sponsoring for the first time, it includes a groundbreaking live music mixed reality concert performed by artist and producer Venice Bleach, a diverse lineup of live bands and DJs - and an entirely new spatial audio installation that pulls the audience into a world of digital distortion and immersive soundscapes. Pushing the frontiers of the live music experience, this event also kicks off the SXSW Music Festival and closing XR Festival, bringing together the music, tech, film and gaming communities, and offering a window into the future of entertainment.