Extended reality (XR) will be in the spotlight next week with a series of workshops and masterclasses for Cardiff Capital Region’s (CCR) creatives.

Media Cymru, the pioneering research and innovation collaboration led by Cardiff University, will welcome Alex Counsell, Technical Director for the Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR), to the CCR as their first Innovator in Residence (IiR).

Alex will be spending the week of 13–17 November running a full programme of engagements exploring Extended Reality (XR). XR is the umbrella term for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). This one-week residency will bring Alex’s expertise in motion capture, visual effects, virtual production and virtual reality to the CCR. The programme will include workshops, masterclasses and meetings with industry partners. It will give the opportunity for those from the Welsh creative sector to explore the cutting edge of XR technology.

The Innovators in Residence (IiR) programme will continue in 2024 and beyond, bringing world-class expertise and insights to the region through various events and activities. IiR is part of Media Cymru’s vision to support innovation and growth in the media sector.

Alex said: “Having grown up just outside Cardiff, I am honoured to be coming home to share my experiences with the creative community here in South Wales! I am really looking forward to hearing about all the crazy, ambitious ideas that XR inspires, and the conversations that will hopefully help them become a reality.”

Sara Pepper, Deputy Director of Media Cymru, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Alex back home to Wales to spend time with individuals and businesses across the Cardiff Capital Region during our first Innovators in Residence week. His knowledge and experience in the XR space is highly regarded, as are his relationships with industry colleagues. Croeso mawr, Alex. Edrych ymlaen!”