MEDIA students will remain at the cutting edge of new technology thanks to a major upgrade of facilities at a North- East college.
Niven Architects have been commissioned to redesign the media suite at Darlington College, which, for more than a decade, has been providing the creative industries with its best talent.
Former students have gone on to work with the world’s best filmmakers and animators including Pixar and on blockbusters such as Harry Potter.
In order to keep the learning experience at the top of its game the college, which attracts students from County Durham, Teesside and North Yorkshire, is upgrading workspace and facilities.
The work, being carried out over the summer holidays, will see a bigger and better TV studio and control gallery.
There will also be a new 60-seater screening room for film, TV and journalism students to review and showcase their work.
Greater workspace will be fitted with upgraded Apple and PC technology fitted with industry-standard programming for everything from editing and portable vision mixing for outside broadcasts to games development.
Darlington College’s curriculum manager Alan Jones said: “This major investment in facilities will help meet burgeoning demand from young people wanting to train and work in creative industries, which account for more than a third of the country’s gross domestic product.”
Based in Darlington, Niven Architects has developed considerable expertise in the field of education over the years working on a host of major projects across the North-East and Yorkshire.
Associate architect Ian Scott said: “Keeping pace with the incredible pace of new technology is absolutely crucial to the success of further and higher education, a fact Darlington College has been equally quick to seize.
“Environment is key to learning. Young people are informed and discerning when it comes to IT and this major upgrade will ensure that Darlington College has the very best equipment and facilities available, to complement the high quality teaching, ensuring they have access to limitless opportunities in the future.”
