SPECTRUM: Shaping Policies for Equity in Creative Tech and Immersive Media

Professor Sarah Atkinson (Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries), in partnership with Ida XR Studio and featured panellists Kady Marriott (WithYouWithMe), Sara Whybrew (British Film Institute), and Nicalia Thompson (Black XR Network UK)

Led by Professor Sarah Atkinson (Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries), the SPECTRUM project brought together researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals to address urgent equity challenges in the UK’s immersive technology sector.

Partnering with Ida XR Studio, the project culminated in a high-profile panel at BEYOND 2024, one of the UK’s flagship conferences for creative innovation. The session explored how discriminatory work culture, automation, and precarious employment affect underrepresented groups in immersive media—particularly women, trans, and non-binary professionals—and how current policy interventions might help reshape the sector.

Co-chaired by Atkinson and Ida XR’s Leah Kurta, the panel featured expert speakers from the British Film Institute, WithYouWithMe, and Black XR Network UK. The project offered a model for policy engagement rooted in collaboration, accessibility, and lived experience.

For full details of the project, please see the PDF case study below.

SPECTRUM: Shaping Policies for Equity in Creative Tech and Immersive Media – PDF Case Study