3D Character Technical Artist

Mercurial Dance
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Posted
May 22, 2026
Contract
United Kingdom
Remote

We are seeking a freelance 3D Character Technical Artist to support the development of VR game characters for EmbodyXR®

 

Your Role

You will create 5 x 3D VR ready human characters from our concept designs. The role focuses on the creation, rigging, optimisation, and technical preparation of stylised digital characters and avatars for use within the low poly VR environment of EmbodyXR®. The project combines immersive storytelling, embodied performance, and motion capture-driven animation within a VR game.

Create and refine 3D character avatars for immersive XR experiences

We are looking for someone who is equally comfortable working creatively on character aesthetics, can fit to an existing style, and technically on rigging, deformation, and Unity integration workflows.

 

Ideal Profile

You are a creatively driven and technically confident character artist with experience building expressive, animation-ready avatars for immersive or realtime environments, and you enjoy collaborating across performance, animation, and XR production workflows.

 

About EmbodyXR®

EmbodyXR® is an immersive Virtual Reality dance art experience, aimed at raising mental health awareness & mitigating anxiety in Young People. Having delivered a Midlands regional tour of our headset experience across Coventry, Nuneaton, Leicester & Birmingham, we are collaborating with University of the Creative Arts (UCA) researchers and wellbeing team, to move onto the next phase of the project towards a commercial release.

 

About University of the Creative Arts 

In collaboration with Mercurial Dance, UCA are delivering on our wellbeing content and research elements, along with making available facilities for performance capture. All foreground IP is owned by Mercurial Dance Ltd.

 

About Mercurial Dance 

We Move People. At Mercurial Dance we believe that dance has the power to change lives, and that if more people danced, for pleasure, and discovered their movement voices they (and the world) will be a happier, healthier place. To inspire this we create shows, run workshops and make digital experiences that get people moving. More information in our studio profile and here.

 

Responsibilities

  • Create and refine 3D character avatars for immersive XR experiences
  • Develop clean, efficient character topology suitable for animation in VR
  • Rig characters for motion capture retargeting and animation workflows with blend shapes, facial systems, and secondary deformation where required
  • Skin and weight characters for stable deformation and expressive movement
  • Prepare avatars for integration into Unity
  • Optimise character assets for XR performance and deployment
  • Export and organise production-ready assets and documentation
  • Work collaboratively with creative, technical, and performance teams

 

Skills

✅   Essential Skills

  • Strong experience creating and rigging 3D characters or avatars for low poly VR games
  • Advanced knowledge of: Autodesk Maya and/or Blender; character rigging workflows; skinning and weight painting; humanoid skeleton systems
  • Experience preparing character assets for Unity
  • Strong understanding of: deformation systems; animation-ready topology; FBX export workflows realtime optimisation
  • Ability to balance visual quality with technical performance requirements
  • Strong portfolio demonstrating character creation and rigging work

✨  Bonus Points

  • Interest in performance, movement, theatre, dance, or embodied interaction
  • Familiarity with motion capture retargeting pipelines

 

Technology

  • Autodesk Maya
  • Blender
  • ZBrush

 

Skills

  • 3D Modeling
  • 3D Sculpting
  • Animation Systems
  • Character Design
  • Optimization
  • Rigging
  • Skin-weighting
About
Mercurial Dance

Mercurial Dance is a UK-based creative company at the forefront of blending performance and creativity with technology. Their work explores how movement, immersive media, and interactive design can create transformative experiences.

Their current EmbodyXR® project is a VR-based art game that uses choreographed movement and cognitive behavioural techniques to help young people manage anxiety, and they have previously released FAME GAME, a location-based mobile adventure blending storytelling, urban exploration, and live performance.

By merging dance with app development, game mechanics, and cutting-edge digital tools, Mercurial Dance is redefining how audiences engage with art, movement and technology.

EmbodyXR® is a mobile and VR experience that aims to transform anxiety support into something young people can actually feel, not just think about.

Through interactive, choreographed challenges, immersive soundscapes, and evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology and high-performance management, EmbodyXR helps players understand and better navigate the Fight/Flight/Freeze response.

Currently touring as a 25-minute VR art awareness game, with UKRI funding, EmbodyXR is now being developed into a fully accessible VR & mobile app, making it easier for young people to access tools that help them regulate emotions, reduce overwhelm and feel more in control.

 

Fame Game is the biggest talent show on TV, and you have a VIP invitation to the live final. But behind the scenes, something is amiss.

Production Assistant, Annie, needs your help to find a missing dancer – the favourite to win this year’s competition. Someone must know where she is, but are the judges and contestants of Fame Game telling the truth, or hiding secrets?

Explore the city streets, follow clues and find messages sent to you by a host of colourful characters. With an exciting whodunnit storyline and plenty of puzzles to solve, this interactive adventure game makes a fantastic day out with friends or family.

 

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