University campus opens £2.5m games facilities

A university has officially opened its £2.5m games development facility.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), which offers courses including in computer game design and art and games development, opened the new classrooms at its Cambridge campus on Wednesday.

The new facility would allow it to double capacity and student enrolment in these subjects by the 2028 academic year, ARU said.

Chris Rawden, head of faculty operations for arts, humanities and social sciences, said: "So much of the skills they will learn here are applicable to TV, film and other parts of that creative industry sector."

ARU was awarded a government grant for the facilities.

The grant is from a bigger pot of cash that has been awarded to institutions nationwide, for projects offering a boost to local and regional economies.

Rawden said: "I think success looks like really vibrant courses full of students who are really achieving the best they can.

"We know there are challenges around skills shortages in this sector and the games industry."

He said the course would allow students to develop transferable skills.

Alfie Johnson is a student at the university, moving to Cambridge from Norwich to join a course.

He said the facilities were "a lot better" than previously and said the changes would make it "a lot easier to communicate" with students on different courses.

"Hopefully, in the future my work will just bring joy and that is the main goal," Johnson said.

"It would be absolutely magical, as you spend so much time and money to create it and seeing it out in the world would be absolutely amazing."

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