School of Creative Technologies
Explore the teaching and research activities taking place within this School, one of 4 within our Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
Technology has always underpinned and informed creativity. At the School of Creative Technologies, our goal is to challenge and disrupt the way people relate to and communicate with each other through creative practice and the development of innovative technologies.
Our teaching and research covers areas including Animation, Computer Animation, Creative Coding, Games Technology and Design, Interaction Design, Music Technology, User Experience and Virtual and Extended Reality.
Our research is focused on collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects that improve our quality of life and rethink how we interact with each other and our environment. We deliver outstanding research in VR and its applications to healthcare, computer games, and visual computing in image analysis and big data representation. We've also overhauled the management of digital archives and promoted new approaches to storytelling in video games.
Many of our staff have industry experience and links with the creative industries, and bring this experience to their teaching. Jared Embley worked as a creature effects artist on Game of Thrones, Niki Wakefield was a compositor for the Harry Potter films and Space Jam, and Gavin Wade has worked on over 50 published titles in the games industry.
Our students graduate job ready — 93% of our graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted in 2019). Our alumni have worked on large scale and award-winning projects. Our BSc (Hons) Music and Sound Technology graduate Alex Gibson won a BAFTA for 'Best Sound in Fiction' for the BBC thriller Killing Eve.
Gender equality commitment
We hold the Athena Swan bronze award for gender equality and are passionate about promoting equality of opportunity and career development for women and under-represented communities in the Creative Technologies.
95%
Students in work or further study within 6 months of graduating
(DHLE, 2017)
Teaching
Our teaching is underpinned by an advanced understanding of the cultural, philosophical and psychological ways that people interact with and through technology, visuals and sound.
Students use industry-standard technology, including games console dev kits, VR and Motion Capture (MOCAP) labs, AR and VR headsets, and our music studios with an SSL desk and Buchla synth. They're encouraged to learn new software and hardware, and apply what they learn in practical settings and through project based work with our staff supporting their individual creative approaches.
Our strong links with employers offer students varied placement year opportunities. Past placement students have worked at Sony, BluePrint Media, EA, Disney, ASOS, Framestore, Intel, Sega and the BBC. Many of our graduates go on to work with professionals they've met in their placement year.
Our BA (Hons) Animation, BSc (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects and BSc Music Technology courses are Joint Audio Media Education Services (JAMES) accredited, which assures employers that graduates have the relevant skills and abilities needed to work in the animation industry.
Our BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology and BSc (Hons) Computer Games Production courses are accredited by The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA). All TIGA Accredited courses teach skills required by the games industry.
Our teaching areas
Explore the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees we offer within the following areas.
Research
We've carried out collaborative research with partners including Doye Mosse Productions, Emteq, Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Research, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, RSK ADAS UK, Greenyard, Cato Engineering, Research Centre Hoogstraten, NIAB EMR, National Institute for Astrophysics, The Geological Society, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Paris Institute of Earth Physics, Fugro Geoconsulting, OASP Earthquake Planning Protection Organisation and the Hellenic Oceanographers Association.
We've collaborated with other universities on multiple projects, including Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Lille 1 University of Science and Technology, University College London, Brunel University, University of Kent, Aberystwyth University, Buckingham New University, University of Milano-Bicocca, University of Clermont Auvergne, University of Athens and Óbuda University.
We've received research funding from Innovate UK, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Interreg, Natural Environment Research Council, A2C Services, Erasmus Plus, Bounce Foods, Xim Ltd., Royal Academy of Engineering, University of Southampton, Department of Education, Arts and Humanities Research Council, European Commission, Technology Strategy Board, National Institute for Astrophysics, Parkinson's UK, Solent Innovation and Growth Network, Joint Information Systems Committee, and UK Council for International Student Affairs.
Our areas of expertise
Across the School, our research covers the following areas of expertise.
Animation and CGI
Computer games design and technology
Music composition, practices and technology
Cross reality applications
Digital heritage
Digital user experience
Visual computing
Our research groups
Much of our exceptional research takes place within the following cross-disciplinary research groups – find out more below.
-
Advanced Games Research Group
We're exploring a number of research-informed projects that are directly feeding into the design, development, and release of a range of games, both commercial and free.
-
Visual Computing Research Group
We're researching and developing knowledge and technologies in vision, AI, machine learning and computer graphics.
Recent project highlights
-
Virtual Reality Research
Our virtual reality research contributed to a BAFTA White Paper titled 'Virtual Reality In Entertainment – The State Of The Industry '. This research explored the features, benefits and limitations of different forms of virtual and augmented reality. We looked at current psychological and physical risks, the significance of its value, and best-practice for entertainment and the mission of BAFTA.
-
Mary Rose Museum
We worked with the Mary Rose Museum to create a 3D visualisation of the ship's figurehead by piecing together shadow photographs and coordinate data. The 3D image of the figurehead can now be seen by visitors to the museum in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard.
Our staff
Explore our faculty
Explore the other Schools and Departments that make up our Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries.
Contact us
To get in touch, please contact our Faculty office.
Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 5452
Email: cci-enquiries@port.ac.uk
