This month, we’re focused on climate futures, creator support, and the growing impact of immersive storytelling. Read about our open call, explore lessons from the WORLDING incubator, discover new research on empathy and XR, and join us for upcoming events.
LAST CHANCE
Agog’s Open Call Closes June 12
We are in the last stretch to get your applications in for Agog’s first open call, Climate Futures + Immersive Media!
Through this initiative, Agog will award up to $1 million in grants to support immersive media projects that help people connect with climate challenges and imagine new pathways for action. Grants ranging from $25,000 to $200,000 are available for projects at a variety of stages, from early concepts to works already in development. We welcome applications from XR creators, artists, technologists, nonprofits, educators, journalists, cultural organizations, and others working at the intersection of climate futures and immersive storytelling.
Plus, listen to a conversation about our grantmaking and the open call with Agog’s Co-founder and Executive Director Chip Giller and Chief of Programs and Strategy Amy Seidenwurm on the Voices of VR podcast.
Applications close Friday, June 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT
WORLDING: Reimagining Climate Futures from Hawai’i to Zimbabwe
What does it take to imagine a better climate future together? This spring, four teams from Hawai’i, Zimbabwe, Canada, and Indonesia came together through WORLDING, a global incubator that supports immersive climate storytelling rooted in community knowledge, lived experience, and local priorities. The result was a collection of emerging XR projects shaped by the people and communities at their center. After joining the cohort’s final presentations, members of the Agog team reflected on what they learned about co-creation, climate storytelling, and building at the speed of trust.
THIS MONTH IN AGOG HOUSE
The Daladala Verse: From Incubator to Global Stage
Thursday, June 18, 10–11 a.m. PT
Virtual: VRChat and livestreamed on YouTube
Join Agog and Raindance Immersive for a special screening of The Daladala Verse, creator Aurelio Mofuga’s award-winning immersive film that developed at Electric South’s New Dimensions Lab in South Africa and has since been exhibited at leading festivals and venues around the world.
The event will feature a screening of the experience followed by a conversation with Aurelio Mofuga; Electric South co-founder Ingrid Kopp; and Raindance Immersive Executive Producer and Lead Curator Mária Rakušanová; moderated by Agog’s Head of Production Mary Matheson. Together, they’ll explore the creative process behind the piece; the role of artist incubators, festivals, and mentorship in supporting new voices; and what it takes for immersive stories to grow from early-stage concepts into internationally recognized works.
RESOURCES AND RESEARCH
New Impact Study: Impulse: Playing with Reality
A new study funded by Agog explores the impact of Impulse: Playing with Reality, Anagram’s award-winning mixed reality experience about ADHD. After experiencing the work, 90% of participants reported increased empathy toward people with ADHD, 80% reported behaving with more patience towards people in their lives with ADHD, and more than 50% of participants who suspected they had ADHD symptoms sought professional support. As XR evolves, thoughtful research like this helps us understand how immersive experiences can foster connection, learning, and social impact.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Application Deadline: Agog’s Open Call
Applications close Friday, June 12, 11:59 p.m. PT
Don’t miss your chance! Submit your application for Agog’s Climate Futures + Immersive Media open call. Apply today →
Augmented World Expo (AWE) Session: Everything About Gaussian Splatting and XR
Tuesday, June 16, 2:15 p.m. PT | Long Beach, CA (AWE tickets required)
As immersive storytelling tools continue to evolve, Agog’s Mary Matheson will join fellow creators and technologists at AWE USA to explore how Gaussian splatting is expanding the ways stories, places, and communities can be experienced in XR. Learn more →
Agog House: The Daladala Verse Screening and Conversation
Thursday, June 18, 10–11 a.m. PT | Virtual: VRChat and livestreamed on YouTube
Join a special VRChat screening of The Daladala Verse presented by Agog and Raindance Immersive, followed by a conversation with the team behind the award-winning immersive experience. RSVP →
Application Deadline: Indigenous Screen Office’s Immersive Fund for US-Based Indigenous Creators
Applications close Tuesday, June 30
The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) has launched its first-ever funding program for Indigenous XR creators in the United States—supported by Agog. Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian storytellers can apply for up to $40,000 CAD in development funding or $80,000 CAD in production funding for immersive projects. Apply now →
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We share updates, field highlights, and things that have us excited across our social channels and in our Discord community, where XR-for-good practitioners gather to think out loud together. Follow Agog today →