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Studio/Lab

Studio/Lab is a brand new space for creative experimentation that nurtures a vibrant community of artists, researchers and technologists.

Located on the top floor, Studio/Lab is dedicated to supporting your practice, creating new work, and providing opportunities to present and test your ideas.

Membership

Access to Studio/Lab is through Artist Membership. Whether you are looking to be in residence full-time or use the space ad-hoc, our memberships support a variety of creat­ives including recent gradu­ates, artists, performers, curators, and filmmakers at all stages of their careers.

Following a series of events and an experimental testing period with 10 artists, Studio/Lab will be ready to welcome Artist Members from February 2024. Sign up to receive email updates and be the first to know about memberships, events, and news.

Membership Benefits

  • Access to a large workspace with new-generation technology and entry-level immersive kit
  • Flexible space which can be used for collaboration, testing performances, hybrid events, and large meetings
  • Space for you and others to work together, host artist crits and residency sessions
  • Quiet working space with high-powered computers
  • Access to entry-level filming kit as well as post-production tools
  • Acoustically treated studio room for high-quality sound recording
  • Subscription to an Artist Members mailing list to receive news of paid opportunities from our local, national, and international network, and access to Studio/Lab’s private discord community.
  • Invites to community meetings and socials
  • Artist and professional development feedback sessions led by our team, as well as external curators and mentors.
  • Access to in-person and online workshops and skill-sharing sessions, including career and skills development, industry training and sessions to help you better understand and apply for funding opportunities.

Tour

Take a look around the different spaces in Studio/Lab through a virtual tour. Our facilities include a podcast studio, film editing suite, library room, and a variety of spaces to work, host events, socialise and collaborate.

Equipment & Tools

Studio/Lab has a range of hardware and software for Artist Members. We are equipped to cover as many bases of digital practice as possible, offering mid-to-high-end equipment and a general-use virtual production environment for you to get messy with.

  • Gaming-style Windows PCs fitted with GPUs (RTX 3080Ti), complete with 4K monitors, headphones, speakers and a graphics tablet.

  • Multiple VR system options, including a set of spatial trackers for extra object mapping and simplistic motion-capture.

  • A microphone-ready and soundproofed audio recording booth with basic mixing desk, ideal for recording voiceover, foley or live streaming from.

  • Photography and videography equipment including cameras, lights, filters, backdrops and green screens.

  • Presentation equipment including projectors, screens, speakers and microphones.

  • Further virtual production peripherals, such as game controllers and smartphone-grade 3D scanning.

  • Both resin and filament-based 3D printing.

  • Basic microcomputer provision (Arduino and Raspberry Pi).

  • Game engine software for game development and virtual production including Unity, Unreal 4 & 5.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud, including a wide variety of video, audio, and image production software.

  • 3D animation options, including Blender with further CPU and GPU rendering options.

In the future, we hope to add:

  • Powerful 3D sculpting and photogrammetry tools for creating assets, such as Zbrush and VR applications.

  • Specialised avatar, environment and terrain creation tools

  • Networking capability between the PCs, for use as a low-end overnight render farm solution.

  • A growing asset library for your use, consisting of items made by FACT artists, Studio/Lab users and downloaded from online directories

Studio/Lab is made possible with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies through the Digital Accelerator Programme, and The Foyle Foundation.

Foyle Foundation
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Workshop

Studio/Lab Open Day

FACT

Come and discover some of the possibilities of Studio/Lab, a brand new space for creative experimentation and testing ideas.

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Studio/Lab, Special Event

Studio/Lab Social

FACT

Come along to our first Studio/Lab social! Our monthly socials are the perfect chance for you to meet other North West-based artists, curators, researchers and technologists.

Studio/Lab events

All Studio/Lab events