Industry Demand

In January 2020 Story Futures Academy released the UK’s first comprehensive report on skills for immersive experience production.

The report outlined a significant skills gap with 65% of companies identifying a lack of skills as a significant barrier to their individual growth as a business. Nearly all (97%) of the companies surveyed in the report felt that skills were missing in this sub-sector which is expected to add £62.5 billion to the UK economy and enhance over 400,000 jobs by 2030. Immersive experience production involves creating experiences using virtual (VR), augmented (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies.

44% of respondents were worried about the lack of graduates with relevant skills to keep up with demand.

The Training Solution

Working with industry partners including Autodesk, Cast Ltd., Disguise, ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls) Ltd., Philips Lighting, Robe and White Light and with support from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Catalyst Fund, we have created a £3.5 million state-of-the-art Centre of Digital Production to develop a hub for digital theatre practice which will help bridge the skills gap and train the change makers of the industry. 

The new centre will be welcoming students from September 2020 onto the following degree programmes:

 

Digital Content Design for Theatre and Live Events, BA (Hons)

This three-year degree will give students the creative skills they need to become digital content designers. They will also learn to operate media servers, cameras, projectors, control desks, motion capture and virtual reality equipment and green screen technologies. 

Virtual Theatre and Digital Experiences, BA (Hons)

This three-year course will give students the skills they need to graduate as creative technologists so they can design and create digital theatre and experiences. They will be able to tell stories and create worlds through the latest digital technologies including Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality and Game Platforms.