The British Games Institute has chosen Sheffield as the city for its new national headquarters, with an October opening pencilled in.
The BGI will take up one of the first spots at the Sheffield Kollider – the new home for creative and technology industries in the city. The agency will also move the National Videogame Arcade, the UK’s only playable gaming museum, from its current home in Nottingham to Castlegate.
Rick Gibson, CEO of BGI: “Our move to Sheffield is a big statement for BGI. After looking at multiple locations across the UK, we’ve chosen Sheffield because it has a vibrant creative technology sector, a fantastic track record in games led by Sumo Digital, one of the best games universities in Sheffield Hallam and a growth-focused culture. The Kollider building is a unique opportunity for BGI to be at the heart of a growing creative cluster in the North.”
The new agency has been created based on the success of the British Film Institute – a national organisation which supports and preserves filmmaking across the UK.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield city council, said: “Castlegate is on track to become a thriving digital industry quarter that is creating new opportunities and cementing Sheffield’s status as the fastest growing digital sector in the country, supporting more than 22,000 jobs and growing the economy by millions.
“The announcement of a new home for the National Videogame Arcade continues a rich legacy for our city which spans from early innovators like Sumo Digital and Gremlin who started here to the multi-faceted industry we see in the city today.”
For more information, head to the British Film Institute’s website.
