Councillors’ fact-finding mission at Silicon Spa

Politicians from Warwickshire County Council have taken part in a fact-finding mission to learn more about the digital gaming industry.

Councillors visited Leamington Spa’s Arch Creatives, a not for profit organisation, which provides low-cost working space for games developers and other digital creatives.

Known as Silicon Spa, the area including Leamington, Southam and Warwick is home to the UK’s third biggest gaming cluster. There are more than 30 studios employing over 1,000 staff. Local firms range from large studios such as Codemasters, SEGA Hardlight and Freestyle Games to small micro studios such as Monster and Monster, Modern Dream and Midoki.

The Arch Creatives project, which has received funding from the county council, aims to provide a co-working space where games developers can work, share ideas, seek mentoring, training and business support.

Local ward member Cllr Matt Western said: “I am very proud of our local success in the UK gaming sector and it is great that Arch Creatives are helping to bring together and develop local talent.”

Councillors were invited on a tour where they met local games developers including Jonathan Evans designer of the hugely successful Lumo Deliveries game. Jonathan  told councillors how his game, which was developed at Arch Creatives, received over a million downloads within 8 days of its launch.

The group also learned more about skills development in the digital sector, which is essential to the area’s ongoing success.

Warwickshire County Council cabinet member and deputy leader of Warwick District Council councillor, Les Caborn said: “Through innovation and creativity, our local gaming cluster is making a major contribution to the local economy. We want to ensure that entrepreneurs have spaces to set up so this important sector continues to flourish”.

Ollie Clarke, owner of the studio Modern Dream and one of the Arch Creatives founders, added: “It’s great that councillors are taking such an interest in our work which is helping to shape the future of the digital gaming industry.  It’s thanks to support from the county and district councils, plus firms such as SEGA, that we were able to get this idea off the ground.”

Over the last 18 months Warwickshire County Council, along with Warwick District Council, have been working alongside local gaming businesses to support the sector. This includes showcasing local businesses nationally, supporting the Backspace Festival which provides careers events and workshops and the creation of 26 HT - a new incubator facility for start-up gaming companies – situated at Hamilton Terrace in Leamington.

Based in a renovated Victorian railway arch in South Leamington, Arch Creatives opened in May 2014. For more information on Arch Creatives visit http://archcreatives.com