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The Sharp Project debate asks: “What does Manchester need to do become a global, digital, tech startup City?’”

Posted on May 9, 2012 by tomc

The Campus by Mark Waugh

On Thursday 17th May, The Sharp Project is hosting a debate ‘Manchester – a Tech City?’ in association with TechHub, The Next Web and Manchester Digital.

A FutureEverything fringe event, Event 004 will feature experts from the world of digital technology including Martin Bryant, managing editor of The Next Web and Elizabeth Varley, co-founder and CEO of London’s TechHub alongside Sharp Project tenants Global Tech and AppLearn, chaired by Ian Aspin, journalist, speaker, and blogger and Professor of Ideas for Really Good Thinking.

The panel will discuss whether Manchester is ready to be at the forefront of the UK’s key emerging sector. The panel will ask what Manchester needs to do to encourage the next generation of startups to base themselves in the city.

Rose Marley, Manager of The Sharp Project said: “Our panel of experts will be asking some tough and probing questions about how prepared the city is for the technological revolution that is upon us. Investment and development in connectivity, resources and education have created the opportunity for the city to compete at the forefront of the UK’s key emerging new sector. Not only do startups need to base themselves in Manchester but SMEs with potential, and talented graduates need to stay, too – so what do we need to do to promote this?”

Martin Bryant, Managing Editor of The Next Web said: “This is a great opportunity for people in the tech sector to come together and discuss their future and the future of the city. New tech businesses will need not just ideas, but the means and networks to develop them. Without the right environment, they could struggle to survive, let alone succeed. We need to examine what can be done to develop the means, tools and environments where startups and business growth will flourish. Manchester has so much potential to be top of the game and it needs to ensure the potential is realised.”

Elizabeth Varley, co-founder and CEO of TechHub (based in Silicon Roundabout area of London’s Shoreditch) commented “we are keen to see what the appetite is like for a TechHub in Manchester and looking forward to an evening at The Sharp Project to discuss.”

Event 004 ‘Manchester – A Tech City?’ takes place from 6-9pm. For more details click here . Places are strictly limited.

To enquire about this event and to book a place email events@thesharpproject.co.uk Entry is free to The Campus members, Sharp Project tenants and FutureEverything delegates. The panel discussion will be followed by followed by networking in The Campus

Event 004 is part of FutureEverything

FutureEverything is an annual festival of art, music and ideas hosted in Manchester, UK. The festival is held over four days at venues across the city and includes a conference at MOSI Museum of Science and Industry.

We scan the horizon of art, innovation, society and the environment to create a two-day conference of international speakers with the latest thinking on the hottest topics. The art exhibition pushes the boundaries of contemporary digital art from international platforms alongside a digital craft fair at Victoria Baths. And continuing the festival into the night, the music strand is a celebration of sonic pioneers, from the best emerging talent to established musicians who continue to innovate and inspire.

FutureEverything 2012 takes place Wed 16–Sat 19 May 2012 in Manchester city centre. It features 52 artists, 45 musicians and 70 speakers across 11 venues over three main days with exhibitions and partner events extending over 3 weeks.

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The Sharp Projects launches membership scheme for new communal hub

Posted on April 11, 2012 by tomc

Photo by www.markwaugh.net

The Sharp Project, Manchester’s digital production complex, has opened its communal hub, The Campus, to non-tenants. Creative entrepreneurs and digital businesses can sign up to a membership scheme to allow access, enabling them to work and network with The Sharp Projects tenants and on site production companies in a relaxed, social environment.

For as little as £80 + VAT per year, freelancers, and students studying for a career in the creative digital sector can use The Campus as a regular base, accessing free Wi-Fi, lockers and the café. They can also get a 10 per cent discount off meeting room hire and other membership discounts. SME and Corporate membership is also available with up to ten people signed in at any one time.

Day passes at £15 + VAT are also available for people who are visiting Manchester just for the day or those wishing to trial the membership. The day pass gives access to The Campus from 9am – 5pm and access to any events taking place in The Campus that day. They will also be able to use the Wi-Fi and daily lockers for free.

The Campus is a 5,000 sq. ft. social and events space is at the centre of the ‘Gold’ zone, which contains office units over two levels. The Campus is situated in a light, airy internal courtyard with a glazed roof and has a range of coordinating tables, chairs, soft seating and sound-absorbing booths supplied by Steelcase Solutions North West, the experts in workplace interiors.

Photo by www.markwaugh.net

The Campus café offers a range of hot and cold food including traditional home cooked pan-European dishes at affordable prices catered by small local business Amanda’s Catering.

Sue Woodward, Director of the Sharp Project said: “This is the final piece in our jigsaw. We are very keen to give creative individuals who are just starting out, the ability to benefit from our very own ecosystem, where people meet, companies collaborate and businesses flourish. Networking is at the heart of our ethos. The Campus opens to the wider community in Greater Manchester and beyond.”

Manager of The Sharp Project Rose Marley added: “Over 40 people have pre-registered for membership but we will limit the capacity in the first instance to allow quality networks to grow. We feel it is important to open our doors to a wider section of the creative and digital industry and share with them what has been created for this important sector. Not everyone needs office space when they are starting out or when they already have an office based elsewhere in the City region, so The Campus membership provides an affordable and flexible alternative venue to work from.”

Application for membership is now open. For more information on The Sharp Project, Campus membership and how to join, please click here

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ABF sign for United

Posted on April 2, 2012 by tomc

ABF Pictures have been appointed TV creative & production company by UK retailer United Carpets & Beds.

ABF’s Creative Director Matt Barraclough said “We’re excited to be working with a brand like United Carpets & Beds. They have years on TV under their belt, they know what works for them but are also keen to take on and try new ideas.”

The first commercial created and produced by the Sharp Project based company will be broadcast just before Easter, in a multi region ITV 1 campaign.

“The new look commercials are great, they still have the key elements that work for the brand, yet we’ve added a new concept and look. I’m confident they will make an impact on TV. ” said Matt.

David Code from United Carpets & Beds said “The guys from ABF made a real impression at the pitch. They are Down to earth, hardworking with a true understanding of what was required to win our account.I wouldn’t think twice about recommending them.

The new ad was presented at our Annual Sales Conference to an audience of over 200, and was instantly loved by all. We look forward to working with ABF and creating some fantastic ads in the future.”

To coincide with this new appointment ABF has launched their new website, designed and created by Sharp Project based business Project Simply.

Matt said “The Sharp Project is been a great place to collaborate and network. It’s good to know that when we needed a new website we had to look no further than the talents of Project Simply, who reside just a corridor away. We love the new site.”

The new ABF site can be seen at www.abfpictures.co.uk

The commercial for United Carpets & Beds can be found at by clicking here

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The Sharp Project previews The Campus by hosting a month long series of taster events

Posted on March 5, 2012 by tomc

This month The Sharp Project, Manchester’s digital content production complex, opens its doors to host a series of industry events specifically for the creative and digital sector, including a range of start-up advice sessions and ‘meet the commissioner’ workshops.

The month-long events programme kicks off on 7th March with the MPA World Class Series with The Sharp Project’s Director Sue Woodward sharing her thoughts on the Global City of Manchester and how Manchester’s creative community can deliver the vital digital agenda.

In the first week Cisco is loaning The Sharp Project a portable ‘TelePresence’ unit allowing tenants and the wider digital community to connect for free to digital cities across the globe and engage with potential new clients. Cisco’s TelePresence technology offers high quality life-like video links.

On March 9th at 11am tenants and the wider digital community are also invited to view an exclusive presentation about the BIG Awards via TelePresence by Cisco business development manager Tom Kneen. Tom will present an overview of the awards, their aims and objectives plus will be able to answer questions on how The Sharp Project’s tenants and Campus members can submit their ideas to the BIG Awards and win £100k.

BBC Learning, CityCo and Deliotte are also all hosting events. Those interested should contact the relevant host organisation or The Sharp Project website to check availability as places are limited and booking is essential.

On March 21st there will be the final Creative and Digital Summit. This is the last of three summit events where The Sharp Project have brought together key influencers and opinion formers to formulate a digital action plan for the region.

The month of activity will culminate on 30 March with free ‘Ask the Experts’ workshops with a range of organisations including The Accidental Business School, Sizzle Media, media law experts Ward Hadaway. Anyone wishing to join a workshop can register their interest by emailing events@thesharpproject.co.uk.

Sharp Project tenant, Ian Henry from Sizzle Media, who will be hosting a workshop on how to deliver award-winning websites in a budget, commented: “We’ve been part of The Sharp Project community for over a year now and we’re really excited by the next steps in the development. Opening up The Campus to this kind of activity will really benefit us and present all kinds of new opportunities for existing tenants and those who have never visited The Sharp Project before.”

Rose Marley, Interim General Manager of The Sharp Project said: ‘The aim of this series of events is to give practitioners from the creative and digital sector a taste of what it will be like to be a member of The Sharp Project Campus. We had originally planned a ‘Fresher’s week’ to launch The Sharp Project Campus but so many organisations wanted to collaborate with us that we quickly realised we had enough activity to extend this to last the whole month.”

Full details of the events programme can be found by clicking here

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Steelcase Solutions appointed official furniture suppliers for The Sharp Project Campus

Posted on February 9, 2012 by tomc

Steelcase Solutions, who opened a showspace on Booth Street in Manchester City Centre in June 2009, will supply a range of coordinating tables, chairs, soft seating and sound-absorbing booths for The Campus, a 5, 000 sq ft communal social space and events area at the centre of the ‘Gold’ zone. With a café and a variety of seating areas, it can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people. Membership for The Campus will be available from March.

Ross Miller from Steelcase Solutions said: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to work with The Sharp Project to deliver a vibrant but functional space that will grow along with The Campus. It is unlike anything else in the region so far and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Sue Woodward, Director of The Sharp Project said: “It’s great to have created this partnership between Steelcase and The Sharp Project. It was important to form an alliance with a highly regarded, design-led furniture supplier who was able to deliver a communal space that could be used equally by both our tenants and The Campus members. This is an attractive, inviting space where digital entrepreneurs and creatives can conduct meetings with clients, grab a sandwich, surf the net or simply network. The layout has been cleverly designed to encourage interaction, enabling people to get to know their neighbours and make new business contacts naturally.”

The Campus will be open from 1st April 2012 with a taster month of activity in March. For more information on The Sharp Project visit www.thesharpproject.co.uk and for more information on Steelcase visit www.steelcase.co.uk.

If you would like to sign up for further information about The Campus please click here

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50th tenant takes The Sharp Project’s office units occupancy to 75%

Posted on December 8, 2011 by tomc

The Sharp Project, east Manchester’s digital content production complex, has reached an important milestone following the signing of nine new tenants taking the total number to 50.

With the tally of tenants reaching 50, over 75 per cent of the office units are now let. In total, the building accommodates 66 work spaces including 26 converted shipping containers in the Red Street space, and 40 office units across Blue and Gold areas.

New occupiers include The Zood, Made in Manchester, Digital Cools, Social Surf Online, Will Yapp, ELP (Elstree Light and Power), Dig Marketing, Paramount Media and Vibe Republic.

One of the companies that has just moved in, content marketing specialists Dig Marketing, chose The Sharp Project because of their ability to tap into the wealth of talent based there.

Tim Bilsborough, formed the company three months ago with business partner, Gabrielle O’Hare, and between them have 40 years’ experience working in advertising and production at the North West’s leading agencies.

Tim Bilsborough explained: “Having such a diverse range of digital companies literally outside our door is fantastic and made our decision to move here an easy one. We love the niche entrepreneurial spirit that has been created and want to pull on the resources right here all under this roof and offer our clients a truly unique service. We’re in the business of selling tailored ideas to companies, particularly in the retail sector, and we know we can find people within the building that can make the ideas happen.”

Rose Marley, General Manager of The Sharp Project added: “Reaching this milestone is a great way of rounding off a fantastic year for The Sharp Project. With 50 of the 66 office units now occupied, we are creating a thriving community of digital entrepreneurs. This clearly demonstrates that the digital and creative media sector is flourishing here in the North West despite the current economic downturn. There has never been a more exciting time to work in this field with so many opportunities available to small digital businesses and young start-ups.”

Eddie Smith, chief executive for New East Manchester who oversee the delivery of The Sharp Project on behalf of landlords Manchester City Council said: “We’ve delivered a fantastic environment for young digital start-ups and the amount of interest in our facilities is testament to this. Having reached a 75 per cent occupancy rate on the office units is great news. With The Campus opening next year, 2012 is set to be another exciting year for The Sharp Project.”

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Sizzle Media to revamp Manchester Lieutenancy Office’s online presence

Posted on November 10, 2011 by tomc

Sizzle Media have been selected by the Manchester Lieutenancy Office to revamp their online presence by creating a new vibrant design that clearly promotes the role GMLO plays in the Greater Manchester region.

The Lord-Lieutenant maintains Her Majesty’s dignity and seeks to promote a good atmosphere and spirit of co-operation by the encouragement he gives to voluntary service, benevolent organisations, and by the interest he takes in the commercial and social life of his county.

Sizzle Media will be developing a bespoke content management system that allows Deputy Lieutenants across the county secure access to contribute to the system, creating a site that is up to date with regional news and events. Furthermore the system will allow the administration team to make full use of Social Media to help raise the awareness of the services available at GML to a much wider audience.

Based out of the Sharp Project, Sizzle Media have developed a series of high profile projects with GMLO being the latest win. Recently they were selected to develop the site for the GB British Bobsleigh Team Deen, skiing sensation Daisi Daniels and professional footballer turned pro boxer Curtis Woodhouse. Last Year Sizzle Media designed the Amir Kahn official merchandise outlet ecommerce store. Existing regional clients include Great John Street Hotels, Suzuki, Evevee, Blacks Business Brokers, Astra Signs and Marilyn Comrie OBE.

Find out more about Sizzle Media by visiting their website here

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The Sharp Project announces digital Christmas card

Posted on November 4, 2011 by tomc

The Sharp Project launched a competition in November, giving designers the chance to win a cash prize. The competition, which was open to all those in, or interested in, the digital sector offers creatives the opportunity to design a digital greetings card for the Festive season.

Rose Marley, manager at The Sharp Project commented ‘We thought this would be a great opportunity to offer companies and individuals the opportunity to work to a brief. It’s often hard for interns or junior members of staff to take full creative control on a client brief but it’s such a good experience and process to go through. It fits with the aims of SharpFutures to generate briefs which can be used to take a risk and show off emerging talent. ‘

Please click here to view the winning entry, by Hogan Burrows at Mocapone

The Sharp Project Christmas Card will be sent out from The Sharp Project in December to their entire database enabling the winning designer’s work to reach hundreds of new regional, national and international contacts and potential future clients in the industry.

Photography by Joel Fildes & Andrew Marshall

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80 Hertz welcome Wooden Duck to The Sharp Project

Posted on October 13, 2011 by tomc

Wooden Duck Studios have recently moved into the first floor of 80 Hertz at The Sharp Project and are now fully operational.

They offer a range of audio related services, including composition, production, recording and mixing.

Making use of high-end analogue equipment and the latest digital tools, our services are tailored to meet the individual needs of a wide range of clients and budgets. We produce bespoke compositions for use across different forms of media. With a network of people offering a diverse range of skills, we tailor the production process to suit any brief and strive to deliver authentic work to our clients. On the production side, we can take demo ideas right through to fully realised works, ideal for artists looking to develop their sound.

With a range of instruments, equipment and musicians to utilise, we ensure that each track is uniquely presented in its best possible form.

Wooden Duck Studios
www.twitter.com/#!/Wooden_Duck

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The Sharp Project hosts debate on the future of intellectual property

Posted on October 6, 2011 by tomc

The Sharp Project, home to 50 digital and creative companies, launches its Essential Debate series on Thursday 20 October with a debate on the future of intellectual property which is jointly hosted by leading law firm Ward Hadaway.

Experts from the media, music business, film industry and legal sector will take part in Whose Work is it Anyway? a no-holds barred discussion on the issue of intellectual property and the major changes that are on the way.

The Government is looking to overhaul the current system in an effort to unlock an estimated £7.9bn of additional GDP and promote greater innovation and growth in the UK economy.

The proposed changes include the establishment of a digital marketplace where copyright content can be licensed; greater access to so called ‘orphan works’ whose copyright owners cannot be traced; and allowing more lawful copying, such as from a laptop to an MP3 player.

The proposals follow recommendations from an independent report commissioned by the Government and led by Professor Ian Hargreaves, Professor of Journalism at the Centre for Journalism Studies (JOMEC) at Cardiff University and Chair of Digital Economy.

The panel for Whose Work is it Anyway? is chaired by Ward Hadaway partner Laura Harper, law expert and head of the specialist Creative Industries team based at The Sharp Project.

On the panel will be Ben Stoney, Head of Digital at The Mob Film Company; Maria McGeoghan, editor of the Manchester Evening News; Greg Robinson of Connect2Media; Christian Hill, Director of Project:Simply; Music Producer and co-founder of OGenesis Records, Jim Spencer and Music Producer Dave Tolan.

Laura Harper, Partner at law firm Ward Hadaway said: “Intellectual property is at the heart of the creative sector’s success so this issue is something no creative enterprise can afford to ignore. These recommendations will fundamentally change the core aims of intellectual property law and have a significant effect on day-to-day business. We’ve managed to put together a fantastic line-up for this debate, featuring some key players in the sector to discuss whether the proposed way forward is for the better. It promises to be a lively discussion and an event not to be missed.”

Rose Marley, from The Sharp Project said: “We are privileged to have experts Ward Hadaway as tenants and value their insight into with such a topical issue that could affect so many creative businesses. This is just one of a range of events we plan to host, that offer creative companies the opportunity to be informed, ahead of the game and therefore able to deliver best practice in their field.”

Please click here for further information.

Places are limited and registration is essential. For enquiries and registration email events@thesharpproject.co.uk or call 0161 205 1717.

For more information on The Sharp Project visit www.thesharpproject.co.uk. For more information on Ward Hadaway’s Creative Industries team visit www.wardhadaway.com.

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