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New £5m Screen School to be launched
27/05/2021
A new £5 million Screen School aimed at boosting skills in the digital arts and media industries is to be launched at the University of Wolverhampton.
Courses including Computer Games Design, Film and Television Production, Animation, Multimedia Journalism, and Media will be taught in the new Wolverhampton Screen School.
Existing space within the University’s Alan Turing Building at the Wolverhampton City Campus will be transformed to create state-of-the-art teaching facilities and equipment.
The new School will co-locate students from different disciplines in one space to create a ‘production house’ environment to enable them to work with peers on joint projects and develop a new and diverse talent pipeline for the creative industries.
It will also provide co-working spaces and professional development opportunities for those working in the digital arts and media industries, creating a network linking together academics, students and professionals with a range of skills.
Work is due to be completed in time for the next academic year in September 2021. Design students in the School of Art have been involved in the project, providing their input into the concept designs and branding for the School.
The West Midlands region has been identified as an area of potential growth for the creative industries, and in March the BBC announced plans to move jobs and programmes outside of London to places including Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “This is an exciting new development for the University and the Black Country region which aims to boost skills and employability in this sector. By investing £5 million in new technology and facilities we are ensuring our students and staff have access to the best teaching and learning opportunities available in a fast-moving field.
“Our aim is to develop and open up a new and diverse talent pipeline required by the screen industry and to engage with creative students in the region so they can make informed choices and provide new career trajectories through screen skills.
“The focus will be on providing a professional, industry-linked environment which will enable students to work with peers from different disciplines, as they would in the real world. The University will work closely with industry to ensure curriculum development is in line with what this dynamic sector needs. By entering an emerging sector in our region, it will enable new voices to enter those industries and build and nurture diversity in the workforce.”
The core courses taught at the Wolverhampton Screen School will be animation, computer games design, film and television production, multimedia journalism, computer science, cyber psychology alongside proposals for a new course in visual effects.
The £5m Screen School will provide flexible and modern teaching spaces which will meet the needs of students and staff. It will provide students with opportunities to develop specialist screen skills aligned to courses and opportunities to work in interdisciplinary teams on professional outcomes and live briefs with the support of a creative agency or student production house.
There will be a mix of creative production spaces, studios and edit suites in order to give the students a professional working environment.
The transformation will feature a new film and TV production space and a video studio which can be adapted for different purposes.
There will also be a flexible animation teaching facility that has the capacity to accommodate full cohorts of students but can also be flexibly divided to provide small facilities.
The plans include a sound recording area and facilities, as well as editing suites, meeting rooms and social spaces.
For further information about courses, visit: www.wlv.ac.uk or visit our next Open Day: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.
