Teesside becomes a Media Academy

The University of Teesside has joined the world's first Media Academy network.

The University has achieved Media Academy status and is part of the Skillset Media Academy Network, a national footprint of colleges and universities who will work with industry in developing innovative concepts and media content of the future.

The Skillset Media Academy Network was launched in London on 13 December 2007 by Culture Minister James Purnell and Skills Minister David Lammy, and leading figures from academia and the media.

The network has been devised by Skillset - the UK Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries. The network is made up of 17 academies, drawing together creative education partnerships from 43 colleges and universities across the UK.

Cliff Allan, the University of Teesside’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), said: ‘As a leading employer-facing University we are delighted to become a Media Academy. This status is fitting recognition of the extensive work and range of courses the University offers to the media industry. Through the Media Academy we will build on our knowledge and relationships with the industry to ensure that our students have relevant skills and education to meet the needs of this very important sector in the UK economy.

‘Our ambition over the next five years, through the DigitalCity partnership with Middlesbrough Council and One NorthEast, is to develop digital media provision in the North East of England as a key attractor for industry and a generator of new employment and business opportunities. The Skillset Academy will play a hugely important role in helping us to achieve this.’

All institutions in the network are already centres of excellence in television production and interactive media.

This is the first attempt anywhere in the world to harness collaborative partnerships between the media industries and academic institutions.

The network will see world-leading academics, content creators, computer games developers, software programmers and creative artists working with industry to develop talent, creativity and business ideas to exploit new technologies and opportunities in broadcast television and interactive media.

Greg Dyke, former Director General of the BBC, Skillset patron and chair of the Media Academy approvals panel, said: ‘We live in a very competitive world where one good idea can see a person move from mum's garage to global media magnate virtually overnight. The problem for the UK, though, is that a lot of people all over the world are having good ideas in television and interactive media! Good ideas are simply not enough - they have to be world-beating! This is where education and industry collaboration can play a crucial role.

‘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 YouTube 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 at the time of the launch, 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.’

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