Digital Shoreditch festival features £1m contest

The festival has been initiated by animation and games development studio Playgen and will feature contributions from Playgen chief executive Kam Star and Wieden & Kennedy creative director Andy Cameron, among others.

A summit will be held on Friday, at which the Technology Strategy Board will launch a funding competition, which will see companies able to apply for grants of up to £100 000. The competition is supported by UK Trade and Investment.

It is open to digital companies in and around the Shoreditch area, ten of which will receive funds to help them take the company forward. The TSB says the competition aims to drive ‘new talent, entrepreneurs and investment’ to the area.

The summit will also host discussions on topics such as digital business – opportunities, strategies and models for sustainability; digital in the Big Society and whether commercial success and social benefits can be balanced; and cutting-edge creative technology – exploring new opportunities for engaging audiences with technology and ideas.