Students from London College of Communication's (LCC) MA Virtual Reality and MA 3D Computer Animation courses have won multiple awards at this year’s Innovate UK Immersive Tech Awards, recognising standout creativity and innovation in immersive storytelling and games.
Kewin Skrzekut, Leyi Zhou, Kris Harwood, and Yiping Li won Best Immersive Game for ‘The Warming Table’ — a mixed-reality experience that challenges players to consider the environmental impact of their everyday food choices.
Set around a dining table, the game simulates a weekly food shop, where each item has a carbon footprint and expiry date. Players must freeze perishables, reduce waste, and make sustainable choices, or risk seeing their virtual island deteriorate under rising emissions.
With over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions linked to food systems — and food waste alone accounting for 10% — ‘The Warming Table’ transforms daily habits into a climate-awareness game, designed to inspire positive behavioural change.
In addition to this award, Kewin and Leyi also won paid internship placements with leading immersive studios Soluis Group and StoryLab Research Institute.
Posting on LinkedIn, Leyi shared:
“I’m incredibly honoured to have also received an internship offer from StoryLab Research Institute as part of the event! This experience has been so much more than just receiving an award — it’s been a journey of growth.
“If the moment of winning felt like a stone dropped into water which is a surprising splash, then the ripples afterward have been even more meaningful: the conversations, reflections, and motivation that keep us moving forward... Thank you to Dr Ana-Despina Tudor, Eric Fanghanel, Klaus Fried, Manuela Mesrie, and Luke Losey for your invaluable advice and technical guidance.”
Graduating MA Virtual Reality (VR) student Tomis Fras was awarded Best Creative XR Storytelling for his final major project, ‘Sonderambla’.
‘Sonderambla’ is a narrative-driven XR experience that explores the concept of sonder – the realisation that every stranger has a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Set in both VR and MR (Mixed Reality) with live theatrical elements, it follows Pedro, an elderly man in Barcelona preparing for a date, whose plans are unexpectedly disrupted by a curious cat. Through poetic, spatial storytelling, the project invites users to engage with empathy, grief, and compassion.
“A lot of people, a lot of hours and a lot of care have been put into this passion project. It has been an honour to have been selected by Innovate UK; shout out to my fantastic co-writer Camilla Angelika Nicosia and the amazing Pedro A. Perez Rothstein — the voice and performance of Pedro! Couldn’t have dreamed for better talent for this project!”
In an exciting first for the awards initiative, Tomis became a triple award winner. Alongside his storytelling prize, he was also awarded two paid internships with Wales Millennium Centre and Sugar Creative Studio, after which Tomis will begin a permanent graduate position with Arup.
Ana-Despina Tudor, Course Leader for MA Virtual Reality, commented:
“We’re incredibly proud of our students’ achievements at this year’s awards. These wins reflect the strength of collaboration across our courses and the dedication our students bring to socially impactful storytelling in immersive formats. It’s a huge moment for them, and a great reflection of what’s possible at LCC.”
Congratulations to all of the students and staff involved.
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