Liverpool City Region’s Littlewoods Film and TV Studios Agrees Major Deal
One of the North West’s largest commercial deals of the year has been struck at the £54m Littlewoods Film and TV Studios project.
CGI artist’s impression of what Littlewoods Studios could look like.
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) has been confirmed as the education partner at the much-anticipated scheme, which is being developed by CAPITAL&CENTRIC with Liverpool City Council.
The establishment will be co-located alongside Twickenham Studios and provide a direct link between academia and industry in what will be one of the most prominent facilities of its kind in the UK.
It has signed up to take more than 75,000 sq ft of space for an Entertainment Technology Centre, in conjunction with Hugh Baird College, focused on professional training for TV and film.
LJMU will offer a full range of further and higher education courses, all designed to equip locals for a job in the region’s rapidly growing film and TV sector.
Vice-chancellor professor Ian Campbell said: “Our intention is to keep Liverpool ahead of the game, so the combination of training and talent pool are a key part of the recipe.
“Our renowned Screen School prepares professional film-makers, producers, digital artists, journalists and scriptwriters, and we will be working closely with our industry partners to ensure the talent pipeline supports this key sector in Liverpool’s economic future.”
Adam Higgins, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC, added: “Getting an education partner on board has been what we’ve been waiting for and it will ensure that local people have the right skills to take advantage of the huge opportunities on offer.
“Clustering film and TV with education is something pretty unique and Littlewoods Studios will be the biggest facility of its kind in the UK.”
CGI of what Liverpool City Region’s Littlewoods Studio could look like.
A £17m funding commitment from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund was announced last month, with the project identified as a key component of the city region’s £8.8bn Building Back Better recovery plan.
Mayor Joe Anderson said: “The university has a fantastic screen school and their involvement will add a unique educational element to the project.
“This partnership will provide invaluable career making experiences for students. It’s a great development, one which will further strengthen the city’s reputation in this key creative sector and develop a solid platform to support more productions and jobs in the future.”
The ten-acre Littlewoods Studios will be operational by 2023.
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