Liverpool uni to set up screen school at film studios

Liverpool John Moores University is opening a new faculty for media students at a forthcoming film and television studios in the city.

Twickenham Studios is opening a base at the former Littlewoods headquarters and home to the football pools.

The university said its new Entertainment Technology Centre would be designed to equip youngsters for jobs in the film and TV sector.

It said it would provide a "direct link between academia and industry".

A new range of courses is to be announced soon in conjunction with Hugh Baird College.

Adam Higgins, co-founder of developers Capital & Centric, said: "Clustering film and TV with education is pretty unique and Littlewoods Studios will be the biggest facility of its kind in the UK."

He said bosses wanted to "get local kids excited about a career in film and TV and see that there are real jobs at the end of their studies".

Last month the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority approved a £17m investment in the Littlewoods Studios project.

Metropolitan mayor Steve Rotheram said it was a "key part" of the city region's economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the move would "help drive the region even further as a centre of excellence in media and film production".

Littlewoods Studios is set to open by 2023, with temporary "pop up" studios to be built by Liverpool City Council on neighbouring land by the end of the year.

The art deco property was built in the 1930s for Sir John Moores and his brother Cecil to house their football pools business.

In 2018 a fire damaged some of the building but not the part earmarked for the studios.

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