The Edge - January 2023

2
Warrington & Vale Royal College
is delighted to have opened
the doors to the brand-new
Advanced Creative & Digital
Skills (ACDS) Centre. The
centre, which will officially
launch in the new year, has
been created with the help of a
£1.3million investment from the
Department for Education and
will immerse students in a world
of innovative technology.
Based at Warrington campus,
the ACDS Centre boasts an
impressive roster of features
including virtual reality, robotics, a
motion-capture studio and virtual
effects. The centre is fit with a
whole host of new and outstanding
facilities including a recently
renovated 160-seat theatre with
sprung floors, specialist lighting
and specialist sound equipment.
Also housed in the centre is
fully-equipped dance and acting
studios, also with sprung floors
and floor-to-ceiling mirrors; plus, a
host of digital suites equipped with
advanced Apple Macs and PCs,
all optimised for running the latest
specialist software.
The centre will work in
collaboration with employers to
provide students with exciting
opportunities and experiences.
Games design students can
look forward to working with
local developer 10:10 Games,
performing arts students can
expect to be busy with the
Liverpool Empire Theatre, and
our art & design students can
anticipate live briefs and travel
opportunities as they benefit from
our partnership with Tate Liverpool.
These are the first of many
partnerships to follow!
The ACDS Centre is not just
for those leaving high school.
Those already in employment will
benefit from the centre as it will
accommodate sector-specific,
bespoke training designed to
retrain and upskill the current
workforce, or provide a
stepping-stone into industry for
those seeking a change of career.
Stephanie Doyle, ACDS Business
Centre Manager at the college,
said: “We are amazed with how
the ACDS Centre has evolved
and been brought to life at the
college. We have enabled a world
of digital creativity where students
will learn and develop skills that
are transferable throughout every
single industry and every aspect of
the future.”
To find out more, please visit:
wvr.ac.uk/acds.
Working in partnership:
ACDS Centre partners with local developer 10:10 Games
and nationally recognised Liverpool Empire Theatre
We recently announced our new partnerships with 10:10 Games and
the Liverpool Empire Theatre, the first of many in an exciting line-up.
Performing arts students to take centre stage at the
Liverpool Empire Theatre
10:10 Games is the stuff of digital students’ dreams
10:10 Games is a videogame
developer based in Warrington
with a vision to create an
‘inclusive, collaborative and
welcoming’ studio where its team
is empowered to achieve their
best; an ethos they share with
Warrington & Vale Royal College.
ACDS Business Centre Manager,
Stephanie Doyle, said: “This is the
most important thing about the
partnership, being able to work
with such a passionate, value-led
employer”.
Students can expect plenty of
perks from this partnership. As
well as live briefs from experts,
students can look forward to
masterclasses delivered by 10:10
Games, mentoring opportunities
with the chance to gain 1-1
feedback from those working
in the field, and support with
building their portfolios. Some
students will even be lucky enough
to participate in ‘test and play’
sessions, where they will test new
game releases at the 10:10 Games
headquarters. This is an important
stage in videogames development,
and will be an extremely enriching
experience for those looking to
pursue a career in the industry.
We are delighted to announce
that performing arts students
studying in our ACDS Centre will
benefit from a newly established
partnership with the Liverpool
Empire Theatre.
Students will benefit from this
strong partnership with such an
established employer. Students will
enjoy frequent visits to the theatre,
and even be offered complimentary
tours whilst there. A particular
highlight is the access that students
will have to the theatre’s ‘Young
Ambassadors Programme.’ This
will provide students with incredibly
valuable industry placement
opportunities such as working
backstage, in the hospitality team
and even performing.
Furthermore, students will have
access to question-and-answer
workshops with performers,
access to digital resources and
masterclasses, as well as the
chance to use the theatre’s stage
as a performance space.
The Liverpool Empire Theatre has
been established in the industry
for over 150 years and so it comes
as no surprise that Warrington &
Vale Royal College is absolutely
delighted to be working with them
so closely. Stephanie Doyle, ACDS
Centre Business Manager at the
college, said: “The partnership
between Warrington & Vale Royal
College and the Liverpool Empire
Theatre provides our students with
valuable, real-world experience
and opportunities that will enable
them to become experts in their
fields. Students will have access to
industry professionals and facilities
that will enhance their experience
and prospects while studying with
us at college.”
01925 494 494 Campuses in Warrington and Winsford Warrington & Vale Royal College
wvr.ac.uk