Musician Jamie Cullum headlines launch of CoSTAR Live Lab in Wakefield

Posted on Friday 7 February 2025

CoSTAR Live Lab is part of a £75.6m national network of laboratories that are developing new ideas and technologies to ensure the UK stays at the cutting edge of the creative industries. 

The high-tech facilities will create immersive, multisensory and interactive technologies,  incubate startups, train future leaders in the industry and empower diverse voices and new talent across the sector.

Led by the University of York, CoSTAR Live Lab brings together Production Park, Screen Yorkshire, Wakefield Council, Vodafone and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.  It is funded through UK Research and Innovation’s Infrastructure Fund and delivered by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Experimental facilities

The launch event on 6 February showcased the lab’s new experimental facilities and VIPs included leading industry figures and West Yorkshire elected Mayor Tracy Brabin.

Jazz musician Jamie Cullum entertained with a spectacular set of songs including a cover of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer, showcasing an interactive demo with Bonza - an immersive technology company conducting R&D with CoSTAR Live Lab.

Opportunity

Speaking at the launch, Jamie said: “Things like this are really expanding what the creative industries are able to do and should mean that more people have the opportunity to experience music and experience the joy of playing music and I think those things are very important.

“I don’t think you get new talents coming through that aren’t from the same type of background, unless you have opportunities for all types of musicians and creative people to come together and start to experiment with what it means to perform and to rehearse and practice.”

The Wakefield facility is the first of five Network Labs being launched, with similar events planned later in the year across the country.

As well as supporting new businesses, Wakefield’s Live Lab facilities will help create sustainable and accessible innovations in live performance, help advance projects from concept to execution, and foster new ideas that will shape the future of the creative industries.

New and exciting

Professor Gavin Kearney, Co-Director of Live Lab said: “It’s so critical that we remain at the cutting edge of technologies as they rapidly evolve, so technologies coming from gaming, cinema and live performance are all creating these new immersive experiences. At the University of York, we’ve got the academic track record of doing this research and now we can really embed that into the industry in a very new and exciting way.”

Professor Helena Daffern, Co-Director of Live Lab, added: “It’s really important because we have a skills gap at the moment because the technology is developing quicker than we can train people to use it, never mind innovate with it. So, CoStar Live Lab will start to address those problems, but also companies that need to come in and innovate don’t have access to these technologies as they are really expensive and so we will provide them with that access”.

Push boundaries

Production Park CEO, Lee Brooks, said: “At Production Park, we are delighted to be a key partner in the launch of the UK’s largest creative lab, CoSTAR Live Lab, located at the heart of our thriving campus—an internationally renowned hub for live entertainment. For years, we’ve proudly hosted some of the world’s biggest acts, supporting their large-scale productions.

“CoSTAR Live Lab is a perfect addition to our creative industries ecosystem, embodying a unique blend of cutting-edge technology and artistic vision. This initiative aligns seamlessly with our mission to nurture talent, foster innovation, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in live events and entertainment.”

Driver of growth

Arts and Humanities Research Council Executive Chair, Professor Christopher Smith, said: “The CoSTAR Live Lab will power the future of performance by fusing cutting edge R&D with a vast range of expertise across a wide range of partners.

“As part of the CoSTAR network it will play a key role in ensuring that the UK’s creative industries act as a key driver of growth as identified in the government’s industrial strategy.

“It is by strategically investing in the industries of the future that AHRC shows how arts and humanities research drives innovation and growth in a 21st century economy.”

Watch this space

University of York Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charlie Jeffery, added: “CoStar Live Lab is a space that embodies the best of what the University of York has to offer - bold ideas, meaningful collaboration and a commitment to making a difference in Yorkshire and way beyond. 

“Thank you for joining us to celebrate this remarkable milestone this evening. Thanks to Production Park, to AHRC and all the others who have built such a strong partnership. Watch this space as we develop what is going to be an extraordinary programme of work”