Meet the Exhibitors .
Aesthetica
Aesthetica is a British media organisation founded in 2003. The publication takes a global view of contemporary visual culture, featuring icons such as Isaac Julien, Iris Van Herpen and Marina Abramović. Today, it is a multi-platform that reaches over 550,000 readers and includes the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, Creative Writing Award and the Aesthetica Art Prize, alongside trailblazing initiatives such as Reignite, the Creative Business Skills Academy and the UNESCO Media Arts Expo.
Viridian FX
Viridian is a VFX powerhouse based in the North of England. It specialises across both “invisible effects” for high-end TV and film, as well as in-house experimental storytelling projects. Over the years, Viridian has become one of the UK’s leading studios, bringing captivating worlds to life, from the Golden Globe-winning House of The Dragon to The Infernal Machine, starring Guy Pearce. The company’s clients include big name streaming platforms, such as Apple TV+, HBO and Netflix.
Art of Protest Gallery
Art of Protest gallery is pushing important and timely conversations beyond the silos of country, class and social media groups. They make it possible for contemporary art to reach new audiences, by being a space for projects to be exhibited, dispersed, traded and owned beyond closed interest groups. Exhibitions from emerging and established talent encourages discussions on pressing matters affecting today’s world, such as the environment, consumption and identity. Image: Magnus Gjoen.
Lást: Maps & Illustrations
Lást specialise in telling stories through their signature heritage style – designed in pen and ink. The studio is best known for illustrative work, including artworks, maps and natural history illustrations, working closely with brands to tell their stories. They focus on the magic of a place, the excitement of a journey and our connection to nature. Founded by Tom and Angel, they work with a range of clients, including The Nature Conservancy, Widly Virgin, Hario, Swanndri, Pilot Pens and OceansNation.
XR Stories
XR Stories is a University of York project providing expertise, infrastructure and facilities to help researchers, companies and creatives working in extended reality (XR) and next generation convergent media technologies unleash their full potential. From their state-of-the-art technology lab in the heart of York, XR Stories helps to advance research activities, accelerate student outputs and propel innovation and growth in the creative and digital sectors, for our region and to the whole of the UK.
Button Down Productions
Button Down is a factual TV production company, making narrative-driven work for broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4, alongside content for brands, such as Cadbury, Dyson, Sky and Wired. They are recipients of the Channel 4 Indie Award for Documentaries, an accolade that highlights their ongoing commitment to telling authentic stories with heart and humour. This is clear in their most recent project, BBC 3’s Brickies, alongside a new commission for Channel 4 which will air shortly.
AY-PE
AY-PE produces riveting multimedia installations for institutions such as Bletchley Park and the Science Museum. The company is behind some of the UK’s most talked-about shows, from Kensington Palace’s Crown to Couture exhbition, which showcased over 200 iconic outfits, to Life in the Roman Army at the British Museum, which The Guardian called “one of the warmest encounters with individuals from the past you could ever hope for.” AY-PE builds connection through storytelling.
Art is My Career
Art is My Career is a creative design studio that is making a real difference in the lives of young people. The company works to boost the brand profiles of their clients and boasts an impressive portfolio of stellar work across a diverse set of businesses, such as Chocolate & Co, The Folly and York Terrariums. An important pillar of the organisation is their ongoing commitment to establishing accessible pathways for the next generation to progress from education into the creative industries.
Orillo
Orillo is a York-based, award-winning production company that makes a range of film content, including advertising, documentary, music and features. For more than 15 years, the team has been building relationships and delivering work for world-class, international clients across industries. They have worked with everyone from big-name brands, such as Adidas, Beats by Dre, BT Sport, Gumtree and Pepsi to Brit Award-winning musician Rag ’n’ Bone Man and singer-songwriter Samm Henshaw.
Creative Business Skills Academy
Meet the 12 companies behind York’s Creative Business Skills Academy. Underpinned by the city’s UNESCO City of Media Arts designation, the training programme is working with creatives across virtual production, visual effects, film and television, interactive design, interior design, animation, theatre production, XR and more. It is an intensive, 12-week skills bootcamp that is designed to support York & North Yorkshire-based entrepreneurs who are launching or growing their businesses.
Pilot Theatre
Pilot Theatre is bringing technological advancements to the stage. The international touring theatre company is at the forefront of XR storytelling. It is known for the VR landscape project Monoliths, which screened at BFI London Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival. Pilot is also committed to creating high-quality, interactive experiences for younger audiences, with national touring projects that include Noughts & Crosses, Tenacious Women and A Song for Ella Grey.
The Distance
The Distance has been creating apps since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Today, the award-winning company is one of the top three developers in the UK that is committed to going the extra mile to transform businesses through technology. Previous projects include creating a real-time risk reporting tool for LNER; making data-analysis intuitive for AstraZeneca executives; and introducing NHS PRASE, a system that made it easier for NHS volunteers to record patient information.
Bright White
Stories are at the heart of Bright White. The award-winning creative agency is on a mission is to help communities and individuals share their unique perspectives by developing memorable and engaging experiences. Over the years, the company has worked with significant international heritage organisations such as, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, Kew Gardens, The National Science and Media Museum, The Norwegian Oil Museum and The National Holocaust Centre and Museum.
Pollen Studio
Pollen Studio has been in business since 1973, providing audio, film, image and interactive software to clients all over the world. They helped deliver the original Jorvik Museum and Oxford Stories, amongst other prize nominated projects. Pollen Studio recently premiered content at The Sphere in Las Vegas, making them the first company outside the USA to onboard with the Madison Square Garden team to deliver engaging media with over 16K resolution and 167,000 individual audio channels.
Peel X
Peel X were early adopters of XR back in 2012. Fast forward to today and the award-winning studio is one of the leading innovators in immersive storytelling, with a diverse portfolio of projects. The studio was behind the Uist Unearthed, the first AR Trail app delivering archaeological storytelling in the British Museum. One of their recent projects is Dublin Discovery Trails, which takes audiences on an immersive AR journey into the city’s culture, heritage and history through their phones.
Revolution Software
Revolution Software is a longstanding indie-game studio based in York. For 30 years, they have been pushing narrative driven adventure games forward. The Broken Sword series is the most-known example, with The Smoking Mirror’s remastered edition getting over four million downloads upon release. The studio also frequently works together with Watchman creator Dave Gibbons and their most recent collaboration was the groundbreaking 3D cyberpunk thriller, Beyond A Steel Sky.
