A melting pot of opportunities quietly changing the world...
Genteel, attractive, spacious - yes, Royal Leamington Spa is all of those. But behind the elegance beats a dynamic, creative heart with a global reach, reveals Warwickshire County Council's Digital Creative Industry Specialist, Stacy O'Connor.
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Think you know Leamington Spa?
Think again.
With its wide boulevards, stunning architecture and award winning parks, Royal Leamington Spa has a deserved reputation as a vibrant town and lovely place to visit, but this is only part of the story.
Hidden behind the regency facades is a booming creative sector working on some of the world's biggest intellectual property and utilising the latest technologies.
Creativity has always been part of Leamington's DNA, particularly in relation to design and innovation, and one of its biggest successes is the impact on Video Games Development over the last four decades.
Leamington has a rich history of video game development which all began in the 1980s on a farm in Southam around seven miles away where two teenage brothers with an interest in computers opened up their farm to other likeminded people with a shared interest to come and join them...the original co-working space! Fast forward a couple of decades and Codemasters, whose HQ is still on that farm, are often credited as being the catalyst for what has now become one of the largest games development clusters in the UK. Employing over 10% of the UK's development workforce, the cluster is predominantly focused on entertainment, creating successful game titles for console, pc & mobile devices, with a significant number of AAA title developers which have multi-million pound budgets to develop their games - this investment is equivalent to a Hollywood blockbuster movie being filmed in our county.
This long history has resulted in an organic growth of experienced developers alongside new emerging talent. The cluster is no longer reliant on one big developer to sustain itself, but has built a supportive eco-system in which to operate, with a great mix of large, medium and indie developers, providing a rich mix of opportunity for any studios looking to establish themselves within the area. The thriving industry is also attractive for future employees who may choose to relocate to Warwickshire with its variety of career opportunities on offer.
However the video games sector isn’t Leamington's only success story, with a huge amount of creative talent in the area drawn by the mutually supportive and inspiring community. From a global dance company to virtual production, award winning marketing and advertising agencies working with the biggest global brands to innovative software and tech development, it’s a melting pot of exciting and innovative opportunities quietly changing the world.
Creative people are, by nature, curious, looking to develop and challenge the status quo. They collaborate and share rather than compete and this is where Leamington has evolved so brilliantly as a town. The perfect spaces to encourage collaboration and innovation as a culture are created by a town centre offering of unique independents in retail, leisure, food and beverage. The vibrant events programme is an asset with something on offer for everyone, utilising the beautiful green space to their full potential, events such as the Leamington Food & Drink Festival, Art in the Park, Pub in the Park and the video games sectors own event Interactive Futures.
Royal Leamington Spa is so much more than a place to work - it is a place to live and thrive.