LoGaCulture UK Creative Commissions
Call for Contributors

The LoGaCulture project is funded by the European Commission and the UKRI to research the use of Mixed Reality games in Cultural Heritage spaces. It covers ten partners from five European countries. Bournemouth University as a partner on the project, under the leadership of Dr Charlie Hargood, is specifically investigating the processes and tools used in the creation of mixed reality games. 

As part of this investigation, and in collaboration with the National Trust at their Avebury site, consisting of Avebury henge, stone circle and wider landscape, the project is seeking to commission ten Game Designers / Developers, to create a range of short Mixed Reality games for the Avebury site using prototype tools for creating games. As well as creating novel mixed reality games that help to provide cultural heritage engagement in the visitor/tourism sector and tap into the narrative potential of the historic site, the commissioned creatives will also inform the project by aiding the research team in their investigation and understanding of the creating process and designer experience.

During this 9 month paid commission (from the end of July 2024 until May 2025), you will be required to create two games and engage with meetings and study activities with the project at a set fee of £3750 per game (£7500 total). The games are expected to be small experiences exploring the cultural heritage of the Avebury site and (combined with meetings and study activities) in terms of scale reflective of approximately 150 hours work per game. You will work remotely and will be expected to provide your own hardware and software for development though the games will need to be created in Unity 3D using a research prototype tools and plugins provided by the project (experience with Unity 3D is considered useful, but not essential for this project). Attendance at three physical meetings in Avebury, Wiltshire will also be required. 

Application procedure

Those interested in this commission should prepare the following and send it to Dr Charlie Hargood at chargood@bournemouth.ac.uk by midnight July 15th, 2024:

  • A short CV.
  • A link to a portfolio, demo reel, or a curated collection of prior work.
  • A short covering letter detailing why you would be suitable for the project.

A full services specification agreement will be made available to those selected for the commission, however more details on the commission are provided below for those who want them, and questions can be sent to the BU LoGaCulture lead Dr Charlie Hargood at chargood@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Technical Game Designer Description

The purpose of this collaboration is to create mixed reality games for visitors to the cultural heritage site of Avebury henge and stone circle and its wider landscape, while also studying the creative process of creating mixed reality experiences and the designer experience of using particular authoring technologies.

As a Technical Game Designer, you will be commissioned to design and develop two short mixed reality, cultural heritage games over a 9-month period, each using prototype technology and tools provided by the LoGaCulture project (an authoring tool based on Unity 3D) which will be refined over the project. Though familiarity with Unity will help in their use, Unity expertise and programming experience is not required.

You’ll be expected to work with, and pitch game design ideas to, the LoGaCulture project and the National Trust who will have sign off on concepts to ensure content is suitable for the Avebury site. Depending on the priorities and requirements of the LoGaCulture project and the National Trust, you may need to change concepts.

Whilst design and development work can be carried out remotely at your convenience, subject to agreed deadlines, you’ll be required to attend the Avebury site 3 times over the course of the year at defined dates, to attend regular online project meetings and to engage with researchers on the project on any studies they conduct during the creative process. Study specific activities will include, but are not limited to, keeping design diaries, participating in interviews, focus groups, and surveys, and participating in design workshops.

Selected designers will be commissioned to create 2 short mixed reality games each using technology and tools provided by the LoGaCulture project. They will be creating these for the Avebury site and will be expected to work with both the project and the National Trust, as landowner and partner in the project, who will have sign off on game concepts. Designers will also be expected to engage with researchers on the project on any studies they conduct during the creative process. The games delivered are expected to be of the scale of small independent cultural heritage experiences exploring the stories and history of the Avebury site. In terms of scale of work designers and the project should expect the games delivered to be representative of approximately 150 hours work per game (including design, development, meeting, and study engagement). 

Designers will be supported with:

  • A travel budget of up to £600 over the year to cover costs travelling to and from the Avebury site for the 3 expected visits.
  • Limited art support from a game artist who can create assets for the game at the approval and discretion of the LoGaCulture project.
  • Full support for using the LoGaCulture technologies provided from the developers who will both train the Designers in their use and fix bugs.

In order to fulfil this brief, you will need:

  • To register, or already be registered, with HMRC as self-employed and be responsible for paying your own tax via Self-Assessment rather than PAYE. Note you won’t be entitled to receive sick pay or holiday pay.
  • Your own hardware, licenced software (including Unity 3D), and a place from which to work.
  • Experience of designing and developing small scale digital games.
    • Some experience of the Unity game engine (or if not this then Godot, Unreal, or other Game Engines), and systems design, but you’ll not necessarily be an expert game programmer.
  • A flexible working pattern to enable you to engage in this project alongside your other responsibilities.
  • An enthusiasm for mixed reality, cultural heritage, and tourism – with experience working in any or all contexts would be great.
  • Experience working with or as part of academic research projects would be a bonus but isn’t essential.