Writing Workshop Developed Skills for Underrepresented Screenwriters

Derry-based Amanda Doherty completed a Future Screens NI Future Creatives project to create a writers’ workshop. 6 emerging working-class writers were chosen to develop their writing, develop industry contacts, and find their creative voice through a funded writing group. Every person has the right to be an artist; however, working class voices are those which we are most likely to lose when writers are priced out of our industry. Each writer was paid for their time as they developed 5-page screenplays which have been developed with established screenwriting professionals. 

This 5-day course, specifically for women and non-binary people, ran from 28th November to the 2nd December at Accidental Theatre from 10am-3pm, with writers chosen to partake in this course reimbursed £500 for their time. Through this course writers were guided through key screenwriting practice such as screenplay formatting, dialogue, character, and 3 & 5 act structure, amongst other areas- completing a 5-page screenplay by the close of the week. 

This group of writers comprised of those who faced economic barriers to screenwriting but will now be able to pursue this area of the film industry with more confidence, knowledge, and skill. 

Research Examines Live/workspace Viability for Urban Centres

Researcher Jane Morrow partnered with Flax Artist Studios to investigate the provision of live/work space for artists in Belfast. The Future Screens NI’s Future Creative funded project aimed to support the disinvested studio sector through an alternative model, one which also met local authority aims to increase city centre residential opportunities, particularly ‘post’-Covid-19. Live/work spaces are unique in terms of their offer and are proven to be one of the most successful models for artists worldwide, delivering benefits such as city centre animation and embedded community engagement. Highly sought after by artists, live/work spaces are often victim to prohibitive building and land-use regulations which do not allow living and working on the same premises. They also offer a solution for artists who find current access prohibitive, particularly in meanwhile space. Jane and Flax designed and delivered a substantial symposium which led to recognition of these legislative barriers at a local authority level. The symposium invited contributors from around the UK and Ireland who work at the intersections of live/work spaces, artist-led community housing and long-term residencies. Their contributions provided Belfast-based artists/organisations with opportunities to share knowledge - and solutions – about pertinent issues, gain valuable insights into best practice, and develop relationships with other artists and organisations. Whilst practical change has been slow and challenging at this grassroots level, the issues and recommendations from this project have been adopted at a strategic level, prompting awareness, and highlighting the need around creating space that is beneficial for numerous parties. Both Flax and Jane continue their research and lobbying.

https://janemorrow.com/

https://flaxartstudios.org/

Indie-Game Developer R&D Adaptive Atmospheric Music

Belfast-based indie-game developer Brain and Nerd completed a Future Screens NI’s funded R&D project, the Adaptive Music Controller. The product is a procedural music system designed for open-world or exploration-based games built in the Unity game engine. It allows developers to create continuous atmospheric music that endlessly repeats using variations and can shift in both intensity and theme depending on what’s happening in the game. It’s designed to be used to match the music the player hears with the emotion type and intensity they should be feeling at that moment, or to match the music to locations and activities in the game world. 

Designers can place Emotion Hooks in key areas throughout a game level or attach them to certain game objects and prefabs to indicate how that area or item should make the player feel. An Emotion Tracker algorithm polls nearby and visible Emotion Hooks to continuously determine the most likely emotional state the player will be experiencing, while the intensity of the player’s actions and gameplay determine the intensity level. The Adaptive Music Controller selects between music themes for the player’s current predicted emotional state and seamlessly shifts intensity level up or down as required. 

Creating music content for the Adaptive Music Controller is relatively straight-forward and it provides a more immersive atmospheric soundscape than a standard zone-based music system. The music follows the player’s journey and becomes a companion to the story, amplifying their tense moments with added intensity and smoothly blending into the background when things get quiet.

https://brainandnerd.com/

Online Platform Developed to Exploring Black Culture Collaboration Between Africa and Diaspora

Belfast-based multi-media production company Bounce Culture drew on Future Screens NI R&D funding to develop the creation of a digital space specifically defined by Black culture, history prototype exploring the functionality of a portal prototype exploring the functionality of a portal enabling artists from Africa and the diaspora to Connect, Create and Collaborate through an online platform Solab Access. The project is user testing to inform how they enable artists to Connect, Create and Collaborate. Feedback will further develop Solab Access as a doorway to the full Solab offer.

Solab Access researched and developed the creation of a digital space specifically defined by Black culture, history, and the lived experience is viable. The result, a prototype exploring the functionality of a portal enabling artists from Africa and the diaspora to Connect, Create and Collaborate through an online platform.

User testing will inform how we enable artists to Connect, Create and Collaborate. We have asked Artists/Producers across the continent to create audio loop packages with the aim of building a bank of resources for future activity. Feedback will further develop Solab Access as a doorway to the full Solab offer.

The unique product development will evolve through the exploration of interface design and functionality, resulting in a new digital environment, enabling artists to Connect, Create and Collaborate and audience access to that space, informed and shaped by Black cultures.

Existing creative platforms focus on a single output and use templates or pre-programmed content (e.g., Garage Band) geared towards pop or rock music compositions. There are attempts to include Audio/Midi presets via loops or instrumentation to reflect ‘urban culture,’ but Solab Access would consult and work with Black musicians and producers based on the continent of Africa, working out into the diaspora, to create a varied and authentic palette of sounds and imagery truly reflecting black cultures.

ReNeuro Provides Fun Virtual Reality Physiotherapy-based Games for Stroke Survivors

Belfast-based eXRt Intelligent Healthcare drew on Ulster University research and Future Screens NI R&D funding to develop connected-health virtual reality physiotherapist software platform allowing stroke survivors to use fun physiotherapy-based games to increase engagement and adherence to their physiotherapy program in their own home.

Stroke is the 2nd leading cause of disability worldwide, with 15 million new strokes a year and 80 million stroke survivors. Globally, most healthcare organisations are categorised as having minimal healthcare services by WHO. These under-resourced healthcare organisations are struggling to provide enough high-quality rehabilitation support when patients are released home.

On average stroke survivors who need physiotherapy only perform 2min of physiotherapy per day at home nowhere near the recommended 45 minutes a day by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The current cost of physiotherapy to the NHS for stroke survivors alone is currently £878 million a year with an additional £234 million over 5 years if the stroke survivors fail to recover their motor skills due to the lack of physiotherapy. With more people having new strokes the cost is set to rise 59% so it is important something is done now rather than later.

eXRt Intelligent Healthcare’s solution, ReNeuro is a connected-health virtual reality physiotherapist software platform that allows stroke survivors to use fun physiotherapy-based games to increase engagement and adherence to their physiotherapy program in their own homes. What makes our product and innovation different, is the decades of research we conducted to create a unique artificial intelligence (AI) that tailors the physiotherapist games to each patient’s movement skills creating a balanced rehabilitation program essential for remote home rehabilitation. They have developed a cloud-enabled web app so physiotherapists can remotely monitor and manage all their patients’ progress. We increase the amount of support to patients by using video chat/ messaging and even virtual physiotherapy appointments.