LONDON, UK. September 4th, 2026 – Creative technology Studio, Engage Works has announced 1956 Individuals, the conversational AI platform developed by SKC Studios, as the latest innovation partner to join its Flux Innovation Lounge in London’s Greenwich Design District.
The partnership brings lifelike, multilingual conversational AI avatars into Flux, giving brands, agencies and organisations the opportunity to experience first-hand how AI can transform the way people interact with information, stories and physical spaces.
Rather than navigating screens, menus or static information, visitors can simply have a conversation. 1956 Individuals’ avatars engage people in real time, answering questions naturally using approved information and, where appropriate, connecting with operational systems to trigger actions and workflows behind the scenes.
The technology complements Engage Works’ work creating immersive brand, cultural and innovation experiences, while adding a new conversational layer to the technology available for clients to explore at Flux.
Steve Blyth, Founder and Group CEO of Engage Works, said: “Flux has always been about making emerging technology tangible. Rather than talking to clients about what might be possible, we want them to come in, experience it for themselves and immediately start thinking about what it could mean for their organisation.
“1956 Individuals is a brilliant example of that. Conversational AI has the potential to completely change how people interact with brands, places and information. Bringing the platform into Flux means our clients can experience a different way of accessing information and services, and start imagining how conversational interfaces could become part of their own customer, visitor or employee experience.”
From historic queens to the shop floor
1956 Individuals has already demonstrated the versatility of conversational AI across heritage, retail, healthcare and other public-facing environments.
At Leeds Castle, the platform powers AI Queen Eleanor of Castile, described as the world’s first environment-aware historical AI avatar. Created as part of the Pilgrimage of Love: Eleanor of Castile exhibition, the experience enables visitors to speak directly with the medieval queen and ask their own questions about her life, decisions and legacy. The avatar responds in real time and can converse in English, French and Spanish.
The technology turns historical interpretation into a two-way experience, allowing visitors to move beyond predetermined narratives and explore history through their own curiosity. Its responses are grounded in carefully researched and approved historical knowledge, combining conversational AI with responsible content governance.
More recently, 1956 Individuals entered large-format retail with a deployment at IKEA Reading, where an AI avatar welcomed customers and introduced them to the retailer’s Scan & Pack service. Positioned at the store entrance, the avatar helped shoppers understand how to use the service, demonstrating how conversational AI can support practical customer journeys as well as immersive storytelling.
The platform is also being used to develop AI William Gladstone for the Museum of the Prime Minister. The high-fidelity conversational avatar is designed to provide audiences with a new way to explore the former Prime Minister’s leadership, historical record and political legacy, supported by content governance and consultation with relevant rights-holders and authorities.
Simon Cummin, Creative Technology Director at Engage Works, said: “What excites us about 1956 Individuals is that the technology moves AI beyond the confines of a text box and creates a more intuitive, conversational way for people to access information and services within physical spaces.
“For experience design, that opens up some really interesting possibilities. An avatar could provide access to historical knowledge in a museum, guide visitors through an innovation space, help customers navigate a retail environment or deliver information on behalf of a brand. And because the technology can connect into wider systems, the conversation can lead somewhere useful rather than simply ending with an answer.
“Having 1956 Individuals permanently available at Flux gives us another technology we can experiment with alongside our clients and explore how conversational AI can become part of a much bigger connected experience.”
Information you can talk to
Developed by the Suffolk-based team at SKC Studios, 1956 Individuals is designed around the concept of turning static information into “information you can talk to.”
The platform supports two complementary types of avatars: Asset avatars, which carry story, context and interpretation within experiences and attractions; and Utility avatars, which can support practical functions including wayfinding, bookings, service navigation and first-contact support.
Deployments are built around transparency, ethical design and client-approved information, with multilingual access and defined governance intended to provide organisations with greater control over how AI represents their brand, knowledge and services.
Babita Devi, Co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer at SKC Studios, said: “Our vision is to create a new interface layer between people, information and services, enabling organisations to make trusted knowledge, expertise and actions accessible through natural conversation. Whether that means helping a visitor explore the life of a medieval queen in a museum, guiding a customer through a retail journey, or enabling employees to access sophisticated enterprise workflows and services, the goal is the same: reducing friction between people and the information, systems and outcomes they need.
“Partnering with Engage Works gives us a unique opportunity to showcase that vision in practice. Flux brings together organisations that are actively exploring the future of customer, visitor and employee experiences, making it the perfect environment to demonstrate how conversational interfaces can transform the way people access information, interact with services and engage with brands. We are excited to help organisations move beyond talking about AI and start experiencing what this next generation of interaction can deliver.”
Bringing conversational AI into Flux
The partnership will enable Engage Works to demonstrate 1956 Individuals alongside the wider ecosystem of interactive, immersive and emerging technologies within Flux Innovation Lounge.
Flux is Engage Works’ working innovation and R&D environment, located in Greenwich Design District, providing a space where clients and partners can see, explore and get hands-on with emerging technology and consider its practical application within their own organisations.
Engage Works describes Flux as its “home of the new”, providing a hands-on environment for workshops, demonstrations and experimentation with clients and collaborators.
The addition of 1956 Individuals expands that ecosystem further into conversational AI, giving visitors an opportunity to explore how information, services and expertise can be made more accessible through natural conversation.
Steve Blyth added: “The most interesting conversations at Flux often start with someone seeing a piece of technology and saying, ‘Could we use that to…?’ That’s exactly what we want.
“Our innovation partners give us the building blocks to keep experimenting and pushing ideas further. 1956 Individuals brings an exciting new dimension to that mix, and we’re looking forward to exploring what we can create together.”
Flux Innovation Lounge is available for client demonstrations, innovation workshops, events and collaborative sessions with Engage Works’ creative technology team.
For further information about Engage Works and Flux Innovation Lounge, visit engageworks.com.
