It has been reported that Liverpool John Moores University will open and Entertainment Technology Centre at the new Littlewoods Film and TV Studios as part of a deal to become its official education partner.
The centre will offer further and higher education courses and professional training for film and TV, running alongside Twickenham Studios to provide a direct link between academia and industry, as reported by Prolific North.
Liverpool John Moores vice-chancellor, professor Ian Campbell, said: “Our intention is to keep Liverpool ahead of the game, so the combination of training and talent pool are a key part of the recipe.
“Our renowned Screen School prepares professional film-makers, producers, digital artists, journalists and scriptwriters, and we will be working closely with our industry partners to ensure the talent pipeline supports this key sector in Liverpool’s economic future.”
The Prolific North report also quotes Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital & Centric (which is developing the site in conjunction with Liverpool City Council), who said: “Getting an education partner on board has been what we’ve been waiting for and it will ensure that local people have the right skills to take advantage of the huge opportunities on offer.
“Clustering film and TV with education is something pretty unique and Littlewoods Studios will be the biggest facility of its kind in the UK.”
Indeed, the notion of ‘clustering’ the media tech industry with the education sector is something that will surely prove vital if the industry’s longer-term ambitions to encourage emerging talent into the sector are to be realised. The partnership between John Moores and the studios in Liverpool and Twickenham is set to provide a “direct link between academia and industry” and could offer a blueprint for further bridging initiatives in the future.
Capital & Centric hope to start work on the on studios before the end of the year.
