Liverpool awarded North West’s only Skillset Media Academy
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Liverpool Community College (LCC) have joined forces to become the North West's only Skillset Media Academy.
The new Skillset Media Academy Network was launched in London by Culture Minister James Purnell and Skills Minister David Lammy, and leading figures from academia and the media, on Thursday 13 December.
The network, devised by Skillset - the UK Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries - is made up of just 17 Academies, drawing together creative education partnerships from 43 colleges and universities across the UK. [See Notes for Editors for a full list of academies.]
All of the institutions in the network are already established centres of excellence in television production and interactive media. This is the first attempt anywhere in the world to 'hardwire' collaborative partnerships between the media industries and academia into the fabric of national education infrastructure.
Professor Roger Webster, Dean of LJMU's Faculty of Media, Arts and Social Sciences, explains:
"Securing Skillset Media Academy status is the equivalent of getting a prestigious industry kitemark. It means that the courses we offer are of exceptional quality and meet the demands of the media and creative industries for talented and highly skilled graduates. Out of 144 initial applications for Media Academy recognition just seventeen were finally successful, and the Liverpool John Moores Skillset Media Academy is the only one in the North West region.
"Seismic shifts in digital technology have changed how we engage with, not just films, TV and radio but also the internet, our mobile phones and games consoles. Through the Academy, we will be able to embrace this convergence agenda, dissolving the boundaries between film, television and multimedia production. By embracing the potential of new technologies, we can give our students a huge advantage in this increasingly important sector."
Both LJMU and LCC already have high level industry links, with organisations such as the BBC, ITV and EMAP to name just a few. Now through the Liverpool John Moores Skillset Media Academy, the institutions will have access to around 100 of the world-leading academics, content creators, computer games developers, software programmers and creative artists who are working with industry to develop talent, creativity and business ideas that exploit new technologies and opportunities in broadcast television and interactive media.
The Liverpool John Moores Skillset Media Academy will offer a wide portfolio of courses, from BTec courses in video technology, media production and digital animation through to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in broadcast technology and engineering, drama, journalism and screenwriting, media professional studies, digital games, interactive media, and much more.
Speaking at the launch, Greg Dyke, former Director General of the BBC, Skillset patron and chair of the Media Academy approvals panel, said:
"Media organisations are all about ideas and doing the unthinkable - going left when the herd veers right. You're looking for people who do things very differently. You go into a college or university in the Skillset Media Academy Network and you find people who are working with industry and doing remarkable things that aren't predictable, and that's what you're looking for all the time.
"We are talking about the next wave of talent, the people who are going to come up with the next 'Facebook' or 'You Tube' and brilliant interactive entertainment concepts. It makes absolute sense for media companies to have partnerships and collaborations with the best academics and the best talent in a network that has benchmarked standards of excellence."
James Purnell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said:
"The collaboration between Skillset, Industry and Higher and Further Education must be applauded for its strategic thinking, insight and commitment in establishing the Skillset Media Academy Network. The partnership will guarantee a continuous flow of talent, creativity and business ideas to fully exploit the opportunities of the digital age."
David Lammy MP, Minister for Skills, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:
"The Skillset Media Academy Network is the realisation of a new tradition of partnership between Industry and Higher Education. I applaud the initiative taken by Skillset in building the key relationships that are needed to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global competitiveness."
Ends
Notes to editors
- Media companies supporting the Skillset Media Academy include: BBC, C4, ITV, Five, Nickelodeon, Adobe, QVC, Sony, Nesta, Dare to be Digital, Nokia, Bafta, Tate Media, Cogapp, Attic Media, SMG, UTV, Two Four Productions, Lime Pictures, b.TWEEN Digital Festival, Public Zone, Illumina Digital, Endemol, Chapter Eight, DESQ, Fiftbusiness, Startcreative, Airlock Chinwag, New Media Knowledge, Wired Sussex, AKQA, Tribal DDB, LBi, AvenueA Razorfish, Tequila, Preloaded, RGA, PACT and BIMA.
-
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries covering Broadcast, Film, Video, Interactive Media and Photo Imaging. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenge by sector. SSCs are independent, UK wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are employer-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector. For more information see http://www.skillset.org/
The Skillset Media Academy Network (note: a number of Academies are stand-alone institutions while others are partnerships of a number of institutions and training organisations):
-
Birmingham City University Skillset Media Academy .
-
Bournemouth Skillset Screen & Media Academy (Bournemouth University, Arts Institute at Bournemouth).
-
Central Saint Martins Skillset Media Academy (Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design).
-
Cornwall Skillset Media Academy (University College Falmouth, Cornwall College Truro College).
-
Creative Loop Skillset Media Academy (Aberdeen College, Adam Smith College, Cardonald College, Dundee College, Perth College, Reid Kerr College).
-
Goldsmiths, University of London Skillset Media Academy (Goldsmiths, University of London, Documentary Filmmakers Group, Hi8us, London Film Academy).
-
Hertfordshire Skillset Media Academy (University of Hertfordshire, West Herts College, The Film and Digital Media Exchange).
-
Liverpool John Moores Skillset Media Academy (Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Community College).
-
Middlesex Skillset Media Academy (Middlesex University, SAE College, Top TV Academy).
-
National Film and Television School, A Skillset Screen & Media Academy.
-
North by Southwest: The Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Skillset Media Academy (University of Gloucestershire, Cirencester College, Gloucestershire College, Wiltshire College).
-
Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy (University of Ulster, Coleraine, Belfast Metropolitan College, North West Regional College, Southern Regional College).
-
Ravensbourne Skillset Media Academy (Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication, Cass Business School, 01zero-one).
-
Yorkshire and Humber Skillset Media Academy (University of Bradford, East Coast Media, Grimsby Institute).
University of Teesside Skillset Media Academy (University of Teesside).
-
University of Sunderland Skillset Media Academy (University of Sunderland).
- Westminster Skillset Media Academy (University of Westminster, City of Westminster College).
For more information see www.skillset.org/mediaacademies
