Part 3: Why Sheffield is a great place to be a Computer Science student

30 years ago, in the wake of the collapse of both the coal mining and steel making

industries, Sheffield took a bold strategic decision to invest in the creative and cultural industries, designating part of the city close to the train station as the Cultural Industries Quarter (CIQ) and building production capabilities in music, film, theatre, arts and crafts. As these disciplines have digitised, so has much of the activity in the CIQ, alongside a substantial video game industry born from the 8-bit microcomputer era and the legacy of companies such as Gremlin Graphics and Particle Systems.

The city is home to the National VideoGame Museum as is the British Games Institute, which further emphasises Sheffield’s reputation as a national Digital Hub. Sumo is a world-class, award-winning game developer based in Sheffield who have worked on games such as Team Sonic Racing, Forza Horizon 4 and Hitman 2. 

In the Department of Computer Science, Dr Steve Maddock collaborated with Sheffield-based creative agency Human to develop an interactive augmented reality (AR) experience of Sheffield Castle. The AR experience was available for the public to view as part of Festival of the Mind – a 10 day city-wide festival showcasing some of the latest pioneering research from the University in collaboration with Sheffield’s creative, cultural and digital industries. It also featured on the BBC News and Look North (see video below) and various other national platforms. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dML54bCCMSU

Human is a creative agency with global credentials in design, digital and moving image since 2007. They’ve exhibited their work in Europe, Japan, Brazil and the United States. The Department of Computer Science again worked alongside this team to create the ‘Virtual Hole in the Road’ based on the legendary underground shopping centre that used to be in the city centre. This was again exhibited in the Millenium Galleries as part of the Festival of the Mind. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBjP4KeLZU4

Having nationally recognised projects raises the profile of the Department of Computer Science, and opens up opportunities for our students to work with creative agencies in Sheffield which could lead to placements or even employment opportunities. Sheffield has an established digital sector on your doorstep that offers many opportunities to our students and the potential to progress into a career in the creative application of computer science that you’ll love.