Reading: Top cultural institutions will trawl for digital developments at Interface 2016

Shakespeare’s Globe, Reading 2016, Reading’s Year of Culture, and Reading UK CIC will jointly be bringing Interface 2016 to Reading on November 24. At the event, digital and creative SMEs, start-ups and providers will have coveted face-to-face commissioning opportunities in front of budget holders from well-known cultural institutions, each of which has a budget ring-fenced for digital development and is looking for suppliers. The institutions will include Royal Opera House, Shakespeare’s Globe, Tate, Donmar Warehouse, Barbican, BFI, Historic Royal Palaces, Royal Albert Hall, BAFTA and London Philharmonic Orchestra

Interface 2016 will be completely free for the 32 Reading companies which are selected. Each of the 32 digital/creative companies will then be matched with five big-name institutions which are looking for new suppliers for 2017. The event is open to animators, games makers, IP creators, authors, specialists in infographics and CRM, hack and lab agencies and all SMEs involved in digital creativity, or service providers in and around Reading.

Nigel Horton-Baker of Reading UK CIC said: “Interface comes to Reading at a time when it has the highest increase in employment in the creative sector outside London, with more than 40,000 people employed.  As part of Reading Year of Culture, we are delighted to be able to facilitate exciting new partnerships between these international cultural brands and Reading’s burgeoning technological talent and we look forward to seeing a range of world-class innovative and creative outcomes.“

Sam Bourner, a past attendee who is a producer at animation studio Persistent Peril, said: “Interface led to us working directly with Shakespeare’s Globe and Barbican. Since then we have secured London-based representation, employed more freelance staff, and expanded our studios.."

Interface moves to a different location each year outside of London, helping to be a catalyst for digital growth. It was first held in Brighton in 2013 and has been to Bristol and York in subsequent years.

Interface 2016 will take place on November 24 2016 from 10am-6pm at Reading Town Hall.

To apply for one of the spaces, click here. Applications close at 9 am on Monday October 24.