The first phase of Bristol’s £5m city centre Access Creative College games and media campus has opened with an action-packed launch party.
Students, parents and members of the city’s education and business communities celebrated the opening with a host of live performances and student showcases. 
Those attending experienced the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities, which included live demonstrations in the Virtual Reality and green-screen suites, while Overclockers took over the creative labs to show off some of the latest gaming technology. There was also an exhibition of student artwork and live performances.
The 12,000 sq ft site campus is inside Programme, a new development and home to a number of digital and arts businesses on All Saints Street.
The second phase of the games and media campus will occupy the ground floor, formally the site of Harry’s Amusements arcade and completion of which is due next year.
In a pre-recorded video address to the attendees, digital and the creative industries minister Margot James said: “As the first college with a sole focus on the creative industries in Bristol, Access Creative College will play a really important role in developing talent and skills that are vital to the future growth of this part of our economy.
“Our world leading creative sectors are a major economic driver for the UK, in 2017 they contributed just over £100 billion to the UK economy, as well as providing wider societal and cultural benefits that showcase the very best of the UK to the world.”
“I’m particularly delighted to see that Access College is working with leading creative businesses and organisations in order to help students from all backgrounds to progress in their chosen creative career path. The UK has a track record in producing world leading creatives and the new Access Creative College will play an exciting part in teaching the next generation of creatives.”
Access Creative College centre manager Sally Larkin added: “We’ve been in Bristol for 20 years but we re-branded from Access to Music to Access Creative College in 2017 to reflect our growing offer.
“This new site perfectly embodies our vision for what the new proposition is all about. Everyone has worked so hard to get the site ready for the students to begin working from here this week.
“For this launch event, it’s also great to be able to showcase so much of our students’ talent with live performances and the exhibition. We’re all so happy to finally be able to show off Phase One of new campus in all its glory, as we look to inspire more students than ever to take a path into the creative industries. But this is just the beginning.
“Bristol has such a rich heritage of creativity and ACC has made a substantial investment here in the city to be able to offer a prospectus of industry leading courses in media and gaming. The students have been truly overwhelmed by the new facilities, so all the hard work has paid off.
“It’s a real privilege to be opening a new campus aimed at specifically developing skills that will not only forge fulfilling and exciting careers for young people in and around Bristol, but also help to feed the city’s hunger for expertise within its growing market of creative businesses.”
ACC’s music performance, music technology & production, vocal artist and artist development students will continue to benefit from its rehearsal and studio facilities at the satellite site in Hengrove.
