MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The British Games Institute has announced Sheffield as its new base, opening a national headquarters at the Sheffield Kollider.
The Kollider building is currently being renovated, and the BGI is one of the first companies to take up residence there as part of a push from the city of Sheffield to create a "cluster of high growth industries in the city," according to a press release.
As part of the move, the BGI will also move the National Videogame Arcade from its current location in Nottingham to the new premises. The Nottingham location will close to the public in mid-September, and is planned to open to the public late in October 2018.
The BGI’s Nottingham location will remain open, as an educational and research facility, and the GameCity festival will return to Nottingham in late 2018.
The National Videogame Arcade’s move is the biggest news to come from this announcement, as it currently welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year to the country’s only ‘playable’ museum, something that has been a substantial boost to Nottingham. This move to Sheffield will switch things up.
Iain Simons, Culture Director of BGI, said: “The NVA was proudly born in Nottingham, so it’s bittersweet to be leaving. Whilst we’re opening a new chapter in Sheffield, through the continuing work with Pixelheads and our other education programmes, the GameCity festival and our forthcoming research facility, Nottingham will remain an important centre for BGI activity.”
Rick Gibson, CEO of BGI also said: “Our move to Sheffield is a big statement for BGI. After looking at multiple locations across the UK, we’ve chosen Sheffield because it has a vibrant creative technology sector, a fantastic track record in games led by Sumo Digital, one of the best games universities in Sheffield Hallam and a growth-focused culture. The Kollider building is a unique opportunity for BGI to be at the heart of a growing creative cluster in the North with outstanding support from the City, wider region and DCMS.”
Adrian Hackett, a spokesperson for Kollider, added: “We are delighted that BGI is joining the Kollider community. It’s a huge step forward for us. With a museum filled with school children learning about what games mean and how they are made, the Arcade is all about empowering and guiding young people from all backgrounds to achieve their potential as coders, artists and creators.”
