Opening Knowledge Across Research and Entertainment (OKRE) Fund Now Open
Support is available for collaborative, innovative and imaginative projects that make use of technologies and skills from the entertainment industries to explore specific issues and ideas that shape society.
Opening Knowledge Across Research and Entertainment (OKRE) is a charity and global hub of expertise that seeks to bring together the research sector, entertainment industries and personal lived experience. It is a partnership between the Wellcome Trust, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Unbound Philanthropy and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
The OKRE Fund supports the development of imaginative projects in entertainment and research. In terms of research, the interest is in innovative approaches that make use of technologies and skills from the entertainment industries. In entertainment, there is an interest in projects that take a fresh approach to exploring issues that impact everyday lives and ideas that shape society.
Proposals are sought that involve cross-sector and collaborative working in the creative development of projects, for example, working with academics and those with lived experience of an issue to inspire and shape narratives, characters and worlds. The collaboration should meaningfully and creatively shape the direction of the project through the sharing of knowledge and perspectives. Projects must be in R&D or early stage development.
Projects should explore one or more of the following areas of current interest to the fund:
- Mental health, infectious disease and/or climate health
- International development and the communities it seeks to support
- Experiences of poverty and its causes and solutions, especially as they apply to the UK
It is not necessary for projects to focus solely on a single issue or community. The scheme is interested in how they can be embedded and explored in unexpected and nuanced ways.
The scheme is open to individuals and organisations in any country. Projects must involve creative collaboration. Strong projects will involve creative working with someone from another sector or community i.e. between researchers, people with lived experience of an issue and entertainment professionals.
Grants of between £500 and £25,000 are available. Eligible costs include salaries, contractor fees, materials/equipment and reasonable travel costs.
This scheme has no set deadline and applications can be submitted at any time. Funding decisions are made by the OKRE Fund Committee, which meets once a month to assess applications. Responses to proposals will be provided within eight weeks.