New Creative Intelligence Award launched by CoSTAR, Southbank Centre and UKRI.
A new joint award for artists and creative practitioners working at the intersection of art and technology has been announced today at Creative Intelligence weekend.
Posted: 11 September 2026
A new joint award for artists and creative practitioners working at the intersection of art and technology has been announced today at Creative Intelligence weekend.
The announcement was made by CoSTAR National Lab Director, Sarah Ellis MBE at the opening of the Creative Intelligence Summit, an industry day bringing together culture makers, artists, writers, designers and engineers to explore how digital innovation is reshaping creative practice.
The Creative Intelligence Award includes a £50,000 support grant, funded jointly by CoSTAR, the Southbank Centre, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), alongside a package of practical support. This includes two five-day residencies at CoSTAR’s new R&D facility based at Pinewood Studios, plus three days of pre-show testing, access to AI compute, cloud credits, and the chance to showcase their work at Creative Intelligence 2027.
"This award is about backing artists and technologists to help build the future of creative AI. CoSTAR exists to give people access to the infrastructure, compute and expertise that are normally out of reach, such as use of the CoSTAR Stage based at Pinewood Studios and AI compute. This partnership with the Southbank Centre and UKRI allows us to reach a much wider audience who all have rich, innovative ideas and we can't wait to see the exciting projects the cohort come up with."
"It’s vital we put these kinds of opportunities out there so artists and creative practitioners working at the intersection of art and technology can continue to innovate and experiment. We're proud to be working alongside CoSTAR and UKRI on an award that puts artists and the creative sector right in the driving seat of innovation, making sure human imagination shapes the future of technology rather than being defined by it."
The Creative Intelligence Award will be solely eligible to companies registered in the UK, and will open for applications in October. Interested artists, creatives and research organisations can apply in partnership with a UK company.
The award forms part of the Southbank Centre’s Creative Intelligence weekend, a three-day takeover of the Southbank Centre that revives the forward-looking spirit of the original Festival of Britain. The weekend features art, performance, music, free demonstrations, debate and hands-on experimentation exploring creative technology.
Among those taking part is XtraReality, an alumnus of the CoSTAR Ideate programme, who will join other demo teams presenting their work to the public in the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 12 September.
Those interested in applying for the Creative Intelligence Award can register via the expression of interest form here to be notified when the call launches.
Further details on the Creative Intelligence Summit and the festival's live demos are available at https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/creative-intelligence-summit/.