The Studio Innovation Fund

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The Studio in Bath launches £30k fund to support creative tech projects that address social issues

For the fourth year running, The Studio in Bath, Bath Spa University’s research and innovation hub, has launched the Studio Innovation Fund to support creative technology projects led by freelancers, micro-businesses, social enterprises and third sector organisations. 

This year’s £30,000 fund will be split into awards ranging from £2,000 and £10,000. Each project must explore creative technology solutions that address pressing social issues, and they must also include a collaboration with one or more of the Studio’s residents. The deadline for proposals is 10am on 15 January 2024 and funding supports new or established projects over a six-month period, beginning in February and ending with an event in July 2024.  

The Studio in Bath provides a free co-working space for local micro-businesses, Bath Spa University students, academics, and graduates to work on projects and ideas which focus on creativity and technology. It is also a space to collaborate, share ideas, host events – for Residents, and the wider community. 

In previous years, the fund’s projects have encouraged young people to re-engage with learning through the creative use of AI; helped visually impaired people to connect through sound and movement; supported neurodivergent artists to make theatre productions more accessible; and raised awareness of the unethical patenting of botany and the indigenous communities affected via AR and performance. All have sought to improve the world around us using creative tech.

Supported by Bath Spa University’s strategic Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries, the fund utilises a UKRI Policy Support Fund grant from Research England, the purpose of which is to support new interdisciplinary programmes that help solve pressing public policy challenges. This links to the ambitions of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Cultural Plan and its visions for social change and the growth of the creative industries in the region, as well as the core policies of the Bath and North East Somerset’s Corporate Strategy. 

To find out more about the criteria for the Studio Innovation Fund and how to apply, visit The Studio website.