And action! Screen school set for go-ahead
MANCHESTER’S international screen school, backed by Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle, is poised to get the go-ahead next week when designs go before planners.
The new school of digital arts, known as SODA, would be built behind Manchester Metropolitan University’s student union and next to the Salutation pub, containing studios, digital laboratories and production suites in a venture intended to capitalise on the city’s growing media sector.
It would provide courses in animation, special effects and film – among others – as part of a major £30m scheme backed by a range of industry leading lights.
The plans also form a key part of MMU’s ongoing campus regeneration, scheduled to take until 2027.
Designs for SODA show public space earmarked for the downstairs of the building, containing screening space, a cafe and a digital gallery.
Above that would be ‘digital innovation labs’ and teaching space, with black box studio spaces stacked up the western side of the building.
The upper floors would include a film studio and more teaching space.
Down one side of the building would be an LED lightwall, which would display static and video work created by students while also acting as a signpost to the school, although it would only operate during term time, until 10pm.
Higher Chatham Street – which is currently open to traffic – would be stopped up, according to the report going before planners.
Plans for SODA – currently known as the international screen school – were unveiled in 2016, with Bury-born film director Boyle heading up its industry advisory board alongside Red Productions founder Nicola Shindler.
Half-funded by MMU and half by the region’s combined authority, the school would work closely with major industry players already based in the city, such as the BBC, ITV and Red Productions.
“SODA would provide courses in film, animation, applied games, special effects, sound design, software design for screen, user experience design and immersive media content production for around 1,500 students every year,” says the planning report.
It adds: “There is a recognised skills gap in specialist digital roles in the technology industry in the region and this needs to be addressed if Greater Manchester is to become a world-leading digital city region.”
Officers are recommending the school gets approval when it goes before councillors on Thursday.