Alternate Realities Talent Market

Two people sat down in a dark gallery space, both are wearing VR headsets.

The Alternate Realities Talent Market exists to foster collaborations between artists, collectives, creatives and organisations focused on using digital technologies to experiment and play with non-fiction boundaries, as well as push storytelling in exciting new directions.

Selected artists will participate in the onsite Alternate Realities Summit and will be connected with industry representatives including curators, international festivals, galleries, media institutions, educational institutions, production companies, tech companies, broadcasters and distribution platforms for new media. In these meetings artists will have the opportunity to get feedback on their project and create a network in the field of new media.

The programme is open to all artistic practices of digital non-fiction narratives, ranging from video, audio and sound art, interactive documentary, immersive virtual reality, augmented and mixed reality, AI, immersive sound technology, games, 360° video, motion comic to performance, expanded cinema, artists' moving image, and multi-channel installations. 

In previous years, industry participants attending have included Arts Council England, Tate,  MoMA, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, HOME Manchester, Barbican, Serpentine Galleries, Institute of Contemporary Art, Site Gallery, FACT Liverpool, Phi Center, Transmediale, Abandon Normal Devices, SXSW, MUTEK, ArtAngel, Watershed, Crossover Labs, MIT, Digital Catapult, HTC Vive, Oculus, VR Days, ICRC, Roundhouse, Venice VR Expanded, and The Mill.

 

What’s Included?

  • Full Industry Pass which includes access to the whole festival 14-19 June, including films, talks & sessions, Alternate Realities exhibition, industry activities, parties and socials, and more
  • Access to Alternate Realities Summit onsite 
  • Organised meetings with industry representatives to expand your network

 

2023 Alternate Realities Talent Market

Meet the 8 artists, practitioners, technologists and producers selected to take part in the 10th edition of the Alternate Realities Talent Market.

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2022 Alternate Realities Talent Market

Meet the 9 artists/teams selected to take part in the 9th edition of our Alternate Realities Talent Market, which included: 1-1 meetings with industry experts, round-table workshops, peer-peer networking events, and surgery sessions for project development.

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Audience member experiencing an immersive work, wearing a VR headset.

2021 Arts Talent Market Projects

Meet the 22 teams and projects selected to present to industry partners at Sheffield DocFest 2021.

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Marketplace
The Sheffield DocFest Marketplace encompasses a range of opportunities for documentary makers to connect with all kinds of industry partners, to find collaborators and discuss new projects: the MeetMarket, for new documentary features and series; the Alternate Realities Talent Market, for new-media and XR artists; Amplify: Production Talent, for entry-level production professionals; and Filmmaker Challenge, a mentorship and filmmaking programme.

Our Partners