Future Art Ecosystems 5: Art x Creative R&D

The evolving landscape of art and advanced technologies (AxAT) has witnessed significant transformation over the past decade, with Creative R&D emerging as a distinct domain integrating artistic experimentation, technological innovation, and cross-sector collaborations. The fifth volume of the Future Art Ecosystems briefing series—Art x Creative R&D (FAE5)—examines this critical nexus and offers concrete recommendations for its development and impact.

Bringing together insights from over 60 leading voices from across the field including – artists Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Anicka Yi, Lauren Lee McCarthy, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Ian Cheng; innovative organisations 221a, Trust, Watershed, Royal Shakespeare Company, RadicalxChange; and key policy stakeholders including Creative UK, AHRC, DCMS, British Council and many more —FAE5 reveals the substantial impacts and public value that R&D generates as a core dimension of cultural production. The report demonstrates how artistic production processes and dedicated organisations can function as essential spaces for societal experimentation with advanced technologies, offering distinctive approaches to innovat