View our Flickr set here

After raising the supporting structure we can get on with creating 25,000 sq ft of functional well-designed office space. The new roof will have numerous triangular light wells which will flood the central space with light.

Members of Ward Hadaway’s specialist Creative Industries team have taken up residence in the Sharp Project.

The Sharp Project is aimed at creating a community of like-minded creative enterprises.

Ward Hadaway, which has main offices in Leeds and Newcastle, has taken up space alongside the first 25 creative companies on site in one of the first completed phases of the building. They intend to bring its specialist legal services directly to the new community.

Laura Harper, partner in the firm’s Creative Industries team, explained: “The Sharp Project is a fantastic development which promises to become a real hothouse for the best in creative, media and digital enterprises.

“Moving here is a great opportunity for our Creative Industries team to be in on the ground and right in the heart of the action as the Sharp Project develops.

“We pride ourselves on delivering a legal service which really talks the language of the creative community and addresses the issues which matter most to them. Being here gives us an excellent chance to be able to demonstrate that.

“There is already a real community feel to the place – we aim to be a part of that and are operating an ‘open door’ policy to invite people to come in to our offices and have a chat with us.”

Ward Hadaway’s Creative Industries team works with a range of enterprises across the creative, digital and media spectrum.

Clients include technology companies, games developers, international artists, advertising and design agencies, film companies, musicians and producers.

Sue Woodward OBE, Project Director for the Sharp Project, said: “We are creating our very own eco-system of companies here so each can support each other and grow.

“To have a specialist law firm with an excellent track record in the media and creative sector located here is a massive asset and a real plus for our tenants.”

In addition to its specialist Creative Industries team, Ward Hadaway offers a full range of legal services to a raft of companies, organisations and individuals across the North and UK-wide.

Specialisms include employment, property, construction, corporate finance, commercial law, intellectual property and litigation.

The firm employs many nationally recognised experts amongst its 400-strong workforce and is recognised by industry publication The Lawyer as one of the Top 100 law firms in the UK.

The Sharp Project is located at the former Sharp warehouse on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park’s Gateway transport interchange.

It is being refurbished at a cost of £16.5m, funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund.

The building offers 200,000 sq ft of flexible and affordable office and production facilities, sound stages, and social interactive space in an innovative environment with affordable fast connectivity starting at 1GB.

It is open 24/7 with links to global partners able to deliver a ‘chase the sun’ Virtual Super Studio, 24 hour continuous production circuit for international projects.

Phase 1 of the project was completed in April with full completion due this autumn.  The rest of the main site will be completed by next Spring to coincide with the opening of the new Metrolink line with a seven minute connection time to the city centre.

Urban regeneration company New East Manchester (NEM) is responsible for delivering the Sharp Project, with the support of Manchester City Council, which owns the site.

Founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine TV is one of the UK’s largest independent production companies specialising in entertainment, factual and drama programmes including MasterChef, Don’t Stop Believing, Merlin and The Biggest Loser. Set up in 2001, it has offices in London, Manchester and Cardiff.

The show has built a large scale set in one of the Sharp Project’s sound stages, designed by North West based Barcode Media’s Stephen Graham.

Sue Woodward OBE, Director for the Sharp Project said: “This is just one of a number of big names in TV production that are interested in our facilities at the Sharp Project. We have 70,000 sq ft of sound stage space and can accommodate a full range of large and small scale productions. We now have a host of companies located here that can support production companies by offering services such as kit hire, post production, editing facilities and set design. One of our tenants, Barcode Media, designed this particular set. We really are creating our very own eco-system where both small and large businesses can feed off each other and thrive.”

Moray London, ‘My Genius Idea’ Series Producer said: “I was really impressed at the spaces the Sharp project could offer our production. In the end we opted for one of the huge ground floor spaces which gave us the industrial look we were looking for.”

“Due to the nature of our schedule there were gaps in between the filming, the Sharp project allowed us the flexibility of leaving the set standing throughout the run which not only helped with construction time and convenience, but the budget too.”

“The site offered everything we were looking for; a large industrial space, production offices, secure parking and very competitive rates.”

The redevelopment of the former Sharp warehouse is being led by New East Manchester Ltd. The site is currently undergoing a £16.5 million refurbishment funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase 1 was completed in April. Phase 2 is open to tenants and a further two phases will be completed by the end of the year in time for the opening of the new Central Park Metrolink station, due to open next Spring.

The building is located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park’s Gateway and is already home to 25 companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and production for TV and film.

For more information on the Sharp Project visit www.thesharpproject.co.uk

or for information on New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com.

MOTIV 100% Experience, Sharp Futures, takes pupils out of the classroom to pitch their ideas to some of Manchester’s most influential business leaders…

Download a pdf of the above document – PDF 3142kb

The Sharp Project has signed up more tenants, including new start-ups SUNDE Technologies and Peddlers Cross Creative, to the newly refurbished 15,000 sq ft office accommodation which forms part of the 200,000 sq ft digital content complex, due to be completed early next year.  This takes the total number of tenants now locating at the east Manchester site to 24.

One of the office spaces available at Sharp

This not-for-profit initiative is led by urban regeneration company, New East Manchester on behalf of site owners Manchester City Council.  Steve Thorncroft, New East Manchester’s deputy chief executive added: “It’s great to see this phase complete and businesses moving in. We are getting interest from companies that provide an important link in the supply chain and can service our other tenants on site which is really good news.  Not only are we filling this part of the building but we’re working hard to complete the other phases which will offer production space, a music studio and a ‘winter garden’ communal space.”

New tenant, Bashi Ali from SUNDE Technologies said: “We’re really pleased to be part of the Sharp Project. There’s real synergy here as we’re both about accessing affordable computing technology. We offer Ultra-thin clients that allow you to share untapped resources from one host PC amongst 40 users. Our prime focus is reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), IT cost reductions, meeting CRC directives and realising our dream of green computing for everyone. We are growing to become one of the most competitive providers of ultra-thin client products with plans to become a market leader.”

The former Sharp warehouse is currently undergoing a £16.5 million refurbishment funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase 1 was completed in April. The building is located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park’s Gateway transport interchange, which includes a Metrolink station, due to open in spring 2011.

This is how the festival described the project…

“Fresh from their Ghost Village project transforming an abandoned village on the west coast of Scotland, the contemporary art collective Agents of Change will work in secret and at a monumental scale, transforming an urban location in Manchester for the Future Everything festival. The very special secret location will be visible only over a video link, with clues to its location being gradually released, culminating in a public opening on the last day of the festival.”

Agents of Change - Big Art

Contemporary art collective, Agents of Change, have completed a large scale installation artwork at The Sharp Project as part of the FutureEverything festival. The work initially took shape via live streaming and update stills, with clues to the secret location gradually released – culminating in a public opening as The Sharp Project on the festival’s final day.

Agents of Change had this to say…

“Hello all, Hope you are all well. We just wanted to say thankyou for letting us create the work at The Sharp Project and all the support you gave us. We were very much inspired by the building, the concept and the vibe of the whole project and that drove us on to create something we are very pleased with and I hope you are too.

Please pass on your thanks to everyone who helped in getting AOC 0.3 up and running at the Sharp Project

There’s a trailer for the final film here http://vimeo.com/11746469 and we’ll have a full edit in the next 2 weeks and a whole load of stills.

Thanks again for all your support”

Tim and all of the AoC

Follow the Agents of Change here

The North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund have invested £6.3m into The Sharp Project, a digital media hub in east Manchester.

The former Sharp European Distribution Centre on Thorp Road will be refurbished into a £16.5m complex which will provide sound stages, office and production space.

New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company, is currently converting the warehouse in Newton Heath. Funding of £3.3m from the NWDA and £3m from ERDF will complete the refurbishment of the building ready for its new use. Completion of works is expected during autumn this year.

Following a visit to the project, Stephen Timms, Minister for Digital Britain, said: “This Government wants to build a world-class digital knowledge economy for the UK and it is projects like Sharp which will make this vision a reality. Through the Digital Economy Bill, we are putting in place the framework to support a digital infrastructure and industry fit for the 21st century. Being digital is vital to growth, jobs and getting on in society and I welcome this investment in the Manchester’s digital industry which will bring wide business and economic benefits across the North West.”

Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “Manchester has long been regarded as the UK’s emerging media city, and has developed a global reputation as a creative powerhouse. Retention of this is critical for the future growth of the creative production sector – the Sharp Project is Manchester’s response. The Sharp Project will build a critical mass of skills, supply and demand which will strengthen the city’s role as the home of creative industries.

“Our intention is to support the establishment of a world class digital and content production centre, complement the development of Media City UK, increase new businesses and contribute to the regeneration of east Manchester.”

The funding is in addition to the investment from Manchester City Council in acquiring the building and preparing it for occupiers. The first phase is almost complete and tenants will be moving into a refurbished two-storey office block next month.

The building complex provides approximately 200,000 sq ft of office and production accommodation and is within a short walk of the Central Park transport interchange, which incorporates a Metrolink station, which is due to open in 2011.

Following its completion the digital media hub will offer:

• A total of 15,000 sq ft of office space for use by digital media companies
• A studio and design offices block with catering, reception and social facilities, together with approximately 38,000 sq ft of production space available on flexible terms
• The Central Warehouse, incorporating up to 31,000 sq ft of office/wardrobe/make-up/production space as well as a music studio and a green screen studio suitable for motion capture filming, a key technique for animation
• A further 56,000 sq ft of set and other storage space, plus additional production/office units in the second warehouse
• Fast broadband connectivity and high capacity power supply

The ERDF programme is backed by the Programme Monitoring Committee, a group of senior representatives from across the region. The group was formed to monitor, oversee and advise on the delivery of the programme.

Mike Emmerich, chief executive of Commission for the New Economy and Programme Monitoring Committee member, said: “This is a really important project for east Manchester and Greater Manchester as a whole and one New Economy is happy to have supported. The funding will help regenerate the area, whilst creating new business opportunities, jobs and harness talent in the digital and creative industries. This grant will enable the Sharp Project to complement the investment in Media City and maximize the potential of this key industry.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, added: “The creative and media industries have an exciting role to play in Manchester’s economy and the Sharp Project is in forefront of what we’re doing to nurture new businesses and allow existing ones to flourish. This funding, on top of the substantial investment which the city council has already made, will enable the project to create hundreds of new jobs and complement the development at Media City UK to underline the city region’s status as a creative and media powerhouse.”

The NWDA said the hub aims to establish a springboard for start up media companies who can grow within the Sharp Project, creating a talent pool for Media City UK. NWDA said that the main aim is to provide affordable space.

Design plans for The Sharp Project include areas of over 30,000 sq ft aimed specifically for large scale drama sets or single camera shooting space.

Sue Woodward, New East Manchester’s project director for The Sharp Project, said: “The Sharp Project is about Manchester playing its role in nurturing the digital entrepreneurs of the future. We are basically providing the right environment for talented start-ups and established professionals in the digital and creative sector to flourish. What we have is very special. Not only are we fortunate to have 200,000 sq ft of space to create purpose-built facilities for digital content production, but we are fortunate to have super-fast broadband connectivity which we can tap into. The level of interest has already been incredible and we’re attracting enquiries from companies regionally, nationally and internationally.”

The NWDA said that The Sharp Project complements work on Oxford Road being done by Corridor Manchester to pilot next generation broadband to businesses and homes, which it is also funding. Fibre optic lines will increase broadband speeds by up to 100 times.

The North West Regional Development Agency has announced that it will put £6.3m of additional funding into the Sharp Project, the digital media hub being created at Sharp Electronics’ former European distribution centre fronting Oldham Road in Newton Heath.

The money – £3.3m of which is coming from the NWDA and £3m from European funding – will be used to help create 13,000 sq m of digital business space and help 85 new businesses.

The funding comes on top of the money that Manchester City Council has already invested in buying the building and preparing it for occupiers. The first phase of this is almost complete and it is expected that the first tenants will move into a two-storey office block next month.

The site will eventually contain around 15,000 sq ft of office space, 38,000 sq ft of studios, a 31,000 sq ft production space and 56,000 sq ft of storage and set space areas. The building will also have a fast broadband connection and high-capacity power supply.

Visiting the project today, the Minister for Digital Britain, Stephen Timms MP, said: “This Government wants to build a world-class digital knowledge economy for the UK and it is projects like Sharp which will make this vision a reality,” he said.

The NWDA’s chief executive, Stephen Broomhead, said that Manchester “has long been regarded as the UK’s emerging media city, and has developed a global reputation as a creative powerhouse. Retention of this is critical for the future growth of the creative production sector – the Sharp Project is Manchester’s response.

“Our intention is to support the establishment of a world class digital and content production centre, complement the development of MediaCityUK, increase new businesses and contribute to the regeneration of East Manchester.”

by Michael Fahy

The director of a 2009 MVA winner for Best Budget Video (Speech Debelle), and several other excellent low budget promos (for Kap Bambino and Miike Snow, among others) last year has now hit the premier league.

Anthony Dickenson’s beautiful in-camera photographic effects work has translated seamlessly to the new big Nike viral, out of Wieden + Kennedy, for the new T6 Laser III boots, designed to improve power and accuracy.

Hit The Target, created by Phil Monks and Mike Cuthell, and creatively directed by Stuart Harkness, transforms Wayne Rooney’s shooting practice into a Mission Impossible-style laser challenge – controlled by fellow striker and worthy adversary Fernando Torres. In a stylised environment, fast-paced movement mixes with slow-motion contact between boot and ball, all set to a dubstep soundtrack from 16 Bit.

James Guy, Agency Producer Weiden+Kennedy London;
“It was great to work with such an amazing creative led team. A really intimate, lovely bunch who went above and beyond attention to detail on every shot, making sure director and creatives were totally happy. They made the whole process very easy, simple and enjoyable and had everyone filled with total confidence in what they promised to deliver, which was an amazing film. The work looked so good even a competitor remarked how nice it was!”

The script had all the ingredients of a killer spot and we’re really happy with the outcome. Intended initially as a web film only it’s also now being aired internationally as a 30″ and closer to home the full 60″ got it’s terrestrial debut at half-time during the Man United/ Man City derby. (Rooney scored the winner we might add!)

Nike
‘Hit The Target’
Director: Anthony Dickenson
Prod co: Pulse Films
Producer: Mark Harbour
Editor: Paul Hardcastle at Trim
Post Production: Time Based Arts
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, London
Agency Producer: James Guy
Creative Director: Stuart Harkness
Creative: Mike Cuthell; Phil Monks