The Centre for Creative and Cultural Industries, Bristol+Bath Creative R+D, creative writing incubator Paper Nations, and Oxford-based cutting-edge AI company To Play For, are offering up to ten fully-funded places to writers under-represented in the publishing and gaming industries in the South West who will use AI to revolutionise how we interact with characters in stories from games to movies and apps, in mobile, VR online and more. Up to three of the writers may go on to paid, five-week placements with To Play For.

From talking to Alexa, to using virtual reality and tech in immersive theatre, to the way we interact with characters in games, to innovations in TV narrative such as Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch, a revolution in creating stories and characters is underway.

This revolution is driven by AI (Artificial Intelligence). Innovation in machine learning will see stories told where the audience becomes part of the story and can interact with characters who have their own voices, emotions and memories, and who make their own decisions.

The opportunities are limitless, but the worlds of writing/storytelling and tech are still quite. separate and writers in the South-West for the most part have yet to explore everything AI has to offer.

Bambo Soyinka, Paper Nations’ Executive Development Producer: “We are collaborating on these workshops to bring interactive writers and the AI storytelling experts together. Like particles colliding, we believe new and amazing things will happen. We want people with experience in theatre, comics or gaming; writers who work in performing and telling stories in a range of ways, who can breathe new life into their characters and stories with AI.

“We don’t expect them to be tech-magicians, only to have basic computer skills and a keen interest in how we can use AI.

“We’re also acutely aware of the lack of diversity in the world of digital storytelling. Creating opportunities for writers of all backgrounds is at the heart of our mission, so we’re particularly keen to hear from people from under-represented backgrounds in the South-West.”

The workshop will provide a masterclass on the Charisma.ai platform, giving hands-on experience to the writers of how to adapt existing stories as well as create new ones.

To Play For Creative Director Guy Gadney: “What’s really unique with the platform is how we can use AI to create characters that adapt, learn and act based on events the audience or player controls; characters with their own voices, memories and personalities.”

The workshop is a new and exciting opportunity for writers in the region, a chance to work in the cutting-edge, rapidly evolving world of digital writing driven by AI.

The application process is now open on http://papernations.org/writing-for-all/call-for-action/ai-story-lab/. Applications close at midday on Thursday 12th March.