30 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2020
BEYOND - where creativity meets R&D
A conference from 30 November - 3 December 2020, where thinkers, makers, investors and researchers across the creative industries come together to explore the relationship between creative research and business innovation.
BEYOND 2020
BEYOND 2020
This year’s all virtual BEYOND conference – where creativity meets R&D – took place on 30 November to 3 December 2020.
Thinkers, makers, investors and researchers from across the creative industries came together to explore the relationship between creative research and business innovation.
Videos of all sessions are available via our on-demand service from a jam-packed 4 day programme, top notch speakers, Immersive Futures Lounge and Poster Exhbiiton. Stay tuned to the BEYOND newsletter for updates from the conference and keep your eyes peeled on @BeyondCnf for all the latest.
Intro
Intro
Intro
Intro
BEYOND is a unique, annual gathering of current and future innovators focused on Research and Development across the Creative Industries.
For November 2020, BEYOND became a virtual conference, offering its global community a flexible programme of live and catch-up sessions. The main stage offered provocations and insights from over 175 expert speakers from the worlds of theatre, music, gaming, TV and film, and visitor attractions; with lively Q&As and discussions across breakout sessions, workshops and seminars. Attendees were able to explore a showcase of industry leading projects and access the research talent pipeline through a poster exhibition – before, during and after the conference.
What’s On
What’s On
BEYOND 2020 offered a flexible programme of live and on-demand conference sessions, the Immersive Futures Lab showcase, an early-career researcher poster exhibition, the Creative China programme and showcase plus a series of fringe events.
Conference Programme
Building on the success of the first two BEYOND’s in 2018 and 2019, this year’s conference spanned four days featuring provocations and insights, lively Q&As, breakout discussion sessions, workshops and seminars. It also included two exhibitions showcasing UK excellence in research-driven creative innovation with an Immersive Futures Lab Showcase and poster exhibition for doctoral candidates and early career researchers.
Poster Exhibition
Doctoral Candidates and Early Career Researchers working in the areas of research addressing the BEYOND 2020 conference themes, featured their work in the Poster Exhibition. Areas of focus included film, television, theatre, visitor attractions, gaming and much more.
Immersive Futures Lab
The Immersive Futures Lab at this year’s BEYOND offered a digital showcase of creative projects demonstrating innovative ideas, new types of content and novel uses of technologies. The Lab included (but not limited to) examples of early-stage prototypes utilising technologies including Virtual Reality, Haptics, Spacial Audio and more.
Partner Events programme
Last year’s BEYOND included a programme of popular fringe events. This year will also featured a series of partner events including workshops, short talks and masterclasses that facilitated and encouraged knowledge-sharing, collaboration and new partnerships.
Creative China
The Creative China programme at BEYOND showcased the work being led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, to support new research-industry partnerships between the UK and China, as well as highlighting wider innovation in the Chinese Creative Industries, including the pivots that are underway in reaction to the pandemic.
Networking
There were plenty of chances to network virtually with delegates attending BEYOND, as well as Meet the Makers and Meet the Researchers sessions, providing the opportunity to make lots of great connections.
ON-DEMAND
ON-DEMAND
Missed a session? Catch up now. Ticket holders can watch the sessions from BEYOND as they are published on BEYOND on-demand.
Speakers
Speakers
BEYOND 2020 featured a unique and inspirational line up of 100+ speakers from across the creative industries, from remowned and established veterans to rising talent. Sign up to the BEYOND newsletter for the latest on speaker sessions from this years line up.
SHOWCASES
SHOWCASES
The Immersive Futures Lab at BEYOND is a digital showcase for creative projects that demonstrate innovative ideas, new types of content and novel uses of technologies. BEYOND members were able to visit the online showcase and join Meet the Makers sessions during the conference to find out more about these exciting projects.
Themes
Themes
This year’s BEYOND programme will explored questions and ideas around the impact the pandemic has had on the Creative Industries, and how the industry has responded.
Through the lenses of performance, moving image, visitor experience, gaming & Esports, we will looked at innovations and research in content, production, business models and audiences.
Day One: Divergence
》Normal programming has been interrupted.
》What impact has this had on the different creative sectors and how have they responded and what research do we have?
》What challenges will be permanent and what opportunities have arisen?
Day Two: Convergence
》Disruption was already happening. Genres were converging and new types of experience emerging.
》We look at some cutting-edge projects to examine the opportunities they present for audiences, creators, technologists and researchers.
Day Three: Emergence
》What is coming out of the chaos? What are the key insights we can rely on?
》Are we really on the edge of the Metaverse or is this hype once more?
》What tools, skills, support and thinking are needed to drive the next stage of development?
Day Four: Collaboration
》How can we build back better, stronger and more resilient together?
》What practical steps do we need to take to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are central to the creative industries of the future?
》What creative R&D programmes, funding and support is available?
BLOG
BLOG
Shows From the Small Screen: Latest Research Considers ‘Audiences at a Time of Pandemic’
This year our smartphones, computers and TV screens became our default windows to the world - for news, entertainment and human connection. As gigs, theatres and the majority of cultural experiences disappeared from physical view, we saw a whole of host of unique...
Day Two @ BEYOND 2020: Convergence – exploring new types of experiences
Day two at BEYOND took the theme of Convergence to look at the disruption that is already happening in the Creative Industries, the genres and disciplines converging to produce new types of experiences and the opportunities they present for...
Day One @ BEYOND 2020: Divergence – normal programming has been interrupted
Hosted by this year's MC Joanna Abeyie MBE, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Blue Moon, BEYOND is an exciting opportunity for the creative industries to come together to share research and personal insights to stimulate and support creative innovation. As well...
Attend
Attend
Attend
Attend
In a year of absolute disruption, BEYOND considers what we’ve learnt about the adoption of new and emerging technologies and audiences across the creative industries, and how it’s influencing future developments around the globe.
BEYOND focused on ‘Embracing Change – what can we learn from the chaos’ and ‘New Opportunities – how do we build back better, but different’; through the lenses of Performance, Moving Image, eSports and Gaming, and Visitor Experience.
WHERE CREATIVITY MEETS R&D
CONNECT with future collaborators, researchers and funders
EXPLORE pioneering R&D projects across the UK’s Creative Industries
ENGAGE with the global conversation on innovation, creativity and opportunity
As the creative industries grapple with the impact of a global pandemic it is imperative that we develop new responses to the challenges, to build back better, stronger and more resilient. This year’s BEYOND provides our growing community a space to explore the inspiring research and development work already in play, in the UK and internationally, and the creative strategies for recovery in the era of Covid-19.
For Business
- Connect with creative innovators, thinkers, experts and researchers
- Discover the latest innovations and creative technologies shaking up and redefining our sector
- Case studies from groundbreaking projects
- Experience first-hand demos from pioneering projects
- Find collaborators, researchers and funders to build your organisation’s capabilities
- Explore international inward UK investment opportunities
For Researchers
- Discover recent developments in the creative arts
- Connect with creative industry pioneers
- Experience and engage with practice-led research projects
- Connect and collaborate with leading creative tech businesses and industry stakeholders
- Indulge in a core programme of thought-provoking panel debates and roundtables
- Interact with local and international tech enthusiasts and experts
Supported by
Event partners
