Ithra showcases Immersive Digital Technologies at Inaugural Demo Day
- 30 groups entered the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture’s Creative Solutions initiative launched under the theme Digital Immersive Content Creation
- Five projects selected for global bootcamp in London
- Ithra to host international experts and investors in Saudi and the UK
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA, February 7, 2022 – The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is excited to present five projects under its inaugural Creative Solutions initiative launched under the theme “Digital Immersive Content Creation”. The program is designed to boost Saudi’s creative economy by empowering digital content creation in immersive technologies, and drew 30 entries.
The year-long initiative focuses on building an ecosystem of innovators working on immersive technologies including artificial intelligence, haptics and virtual, augmented and mixed reality, as well as immersive audio. From a total of 27 projects selected to attend masterclasses with top international creatives, five were chosen to attend an international bootcamp. Each group received a grant to support the process of bringing their ideas to life. The finalists will present their projects to global experts and investors in Saudi Arabia on February 7, before presenting to an international audience in London on February 11.
All five finalists will have the opportunity on this demo day to showcase their work and allow guests to explore the different ways of engaging in immersive technologies. The 5 projects consist of Interactive gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality, location based experiences, and much more.
“Ithra is at the center of the Kingdom’s cultural and creative ecosystem – it is where imagination is powered, ideas are born, knowledge is shared and culture celebrated, and where innovation takes center stage,” said Head of the creativity and innovation department at the center at Ithra Miznah Alzamil. “As the Kingdom’s leading hub for creatives and innovators, we offer year-round programs that support the growth of Saudi’s creative sector by providing established and budding creatives with the resources, expertise and opportunities to unleash their potential.
“Creative Solutions is testament to Ithra’s commitment to building a sustainable creative ecosystem in the Kingdom. We are encouraged by the interest shown in the program’s first year, and proud of the work the 2021 cohort put into their projects. The group’s demonstrated truly creative thinking and we are excited to see how they perform in front of our industry experts and investors at the Demo Day,” added Miznah
Ithra’s Creative Solutions program is designed to bolster professional skills development in the Kingdom, while promoting knowledge sharing and the development of original creative content and marketable solutions. The programs circles around fields such as; Art, Health and Wellbeing, Training, Entertainment, Education, and Culture. Registration is open to all citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia over the age of 18. The open call will start from February 7th and close on April 30th, 2022.
