Calderdale College unveils new Dean Clough campus

Calderdale College has unveiled its new media and gaming campus at Dean Clough, which opened in September to 60 students studying gaming and media courses.

The new centre, Mill Studios, was funded through the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and the College’s own capital investment, and aims to add to the district’s thriving cultural scene while tackling skills shortages in the Creative Industries.

Mill Studios will transform the ways in which students studying creative courses learn and are assessed in a new digitalised curriculum which includes Games Design, Esports and a T Level in Media, Broadcasting and Production.

Based on the third floor of D Mill at Dean Clough, the classrooms feature state-of-the-art purpose-built classrooms, along with high-tech equipment including high-spec gaming PCs for Esports, Wacom Intuos tablets for drawing 2D art in Games Design and an Infinity Cove curved green screen wall for TV and film production.

David Malone, Principal and Chief Executive at Calderdale College, said: “The opening of Mill Studios is a significant milestone for Calderdale College and our commitment to delivering cutting-edge education in the digital and creative sectors.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have partnered with Dean Clough, whose spacious and professional venue provides the ideal environment for our students to thrive and excel in these fast-growing industries. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jeremy and everyone at Dean Clough for their unwavering support throughout this project. Their collaboration has been instrumental in bringing Mill Studios to life, and I am confident that this partnership will open new doors for both our students and the broader creative community in Calderdale.

“This is just the beginning, and I look forward to seeing how our students and staff make full use of this incredible facility as we continue to innovate and expand our curriculum to meet the demands of the future.”

Jeremy Hall, Chairman and Managing Director of Dean Clough, added: “We are excited to see the opening of Mill Studios as an expansion of Calderdale College’s educational facilities here at Dean Clough which is fast emerging as a centre of excellence for creative industries.”

More than £6.5 million had been secured for colleges across West Yorkshire from the government’s £200 million LSIF budget, to help meet the demands that have been identified within the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan. Working in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, the fund is being used to invest in new facilities and equipment, and the delivery and development of new courses in curriculum across a range of priority sectors.

Find out more about the LSIF investment in Creative Industries.