* IDEA builds on the successful, innovative arts training and media production of small independent
companies such as Basement Video Project.
* IDEAs steering group includes 20 people who are prominent in local Higher Education, Media,Industry, Commerce, Arts and Culture e.g. Anthony H Wilson of Granada¼s The Program and Factory TooRecords; Stella Hall, co-founder of The Green Room; Bev Bytheway of BT New Contemporaries and the
ISEA98 team; Profesor John Hyatt, Artist and Head of Fine Arts at MMU; Annie Millar of the Millaer-Sealeagency; Dr John Bowers, Virtual Reality researcher at Manchester University.
* IDEAs key partners are Manchester City Council, Manchester Metropolitan University,Manchester University, Manchester City College and Workspace North West who run theaward winning 23 New Mount Street.
* In the past six months IDEA@mcr1 has coordinated learning programmes with a total value ofmore than £1 million and with more than 1000 beneficiaries; Private Sector Partners includeUS Robotics, Nynex, Manchester Net, Poptel Manchester Host, U-Net and a wide range ofsmall and medium businesses who have hosted and helped provide training.
* Examples of successful training models are :
- Getting On Line : 600 small firms and freelance artists trained and connected to the internet - Advanced Internet : 250 small firms and freelances on the web or real time communications - Multimedia Modules : 50 people each following modules in a variety of Multimedia and Internet applications - Javascript, Director, Premiere, Photoshop, HTML - at the new Manchester Multimedia Centre - Toy Story : 45 people newly trained in use of Silicon Graphics visualisation and animation - 36mc : 36 participants involved in new media production in innovative training model - Crystal FM : 23 trained in radio production, including three-weeks live broadcast - Elective : 30 painters and sculptors at the beginnings of their careers - Digital Samplers : 27 hosts and trainees enjoying the benefits of learner-mentor placements - Films : 20 people learning video, digital and 16mm film techniques on two short features - B:Map : 10 people learning digital video techniques to add to traditional puppet /model skills * IDEA@mcr1 aims to build a permanent incubator workspace and media research centre inManchester to build the city¼s digital skillbase to and through the millennium.
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