Hyper Island sets up in Manchester

Hyper Island has opened the doors to its first educational outpost outside Sweden, in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The company has been building a solid base in the city having delivered training courses for Vision+Media since 2009.

It's been developed in partnership with NESTA, the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, which is funding a one year pilot to see if the course can help graduates find work.

“It’s all about industry-ready people”, explained Hyper Island’s David McCall, director of the new programme.

“Media and communication technologies have converged, and the industry needs talent that is unbound by disciplines, instinctively collaborative and able to thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Our first UK programme has been designed with industry, with exactly this kind of talent in mind.”

It’s got the backing of BBC, Channel 4, Saatchi & Saatchi, MTV, Sony Games and local agencies, Amaze, Code, Love, McCann, Stardotstar and Neighbourhood.

The Interactive Media Design and Management programme will be the first of its kind run by the company outside of its Swedish home. Its approach, it says, is “action-learning” with “students” delivering solutions to real problems brought to them businesses.

“At Hyper Island there are no teachers and no tests. No homework gets set, and no textbooks are needed. Instead, participants will be immersed in project-based activity, in an environment that mirrors the workplace,” continued McCall.

“They will work side-by-side with leading professionals, responding to real briefs set by real clients. At the end of the programme each of the participants will get a rare opportunity to be part of life in one of the world’s most exciting media brands, through a specially designed internship. They will leave us properly prepared for a career in the industry.”

25 places are available on the pilot scheme, which is open to young people between 18 and 25.

“What really interests me about the Hyper Island model is the creative thinking, and the connection with industry”, added Phillip O’Ferrall, senior vice president, digital media for MTV.

“What we really need, and what’s really exciting, is for students to come into industry feeling like part of the team. Businesses like MTV face 100 different problems every day, and we need people who can be part of a ‘brains trust’, working together to come up with really great ideas and solutions.”

Hyper Island selected Manchester as its first base outside of Sweden because of its creative sector:

“Manchester is an international city”, added McCall. “It is two hours from London by train, and has an airport with links to 200 destinations around the world. The economy in the region is thriving. If you join Hyper Island here you will have options to stay after you graduate.”

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