The Sharp Project

[Radley]

video of moving containers into the middle warehouse-y bit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJoPs...ature=youtu.be

[flange]

Firms move into Sharp Project office containers

14 May 2010, 11:03

Michael Hunt

New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company, has welcomed its first tenants to the container offices at The Sharp Project.

The glass container offices form part of the digital media hub that used to be the former Sharp European Distribution Centre on Thorp Road.

The warehouse in Newton Heath is being refurbished into a £16.5m complex to provide sound stages, office and production space.

A total of 52 containers have been used to provide 32 office spaces. One single container is 160 sq ft and can accommodate up to three people, while a double container office unit can fit up to five people at 320 sq ft.

Ken Campbell, boss of The Boot Room, a Manchester web design and digital video agency, which has been working alongside NEM on The Sharp Project since day one, said: "We have six containers occupied with another three companies moving in within the next week having signed leases.

"Cost for a single container is £40 a week and for a double, which is effectively two singles combined, it costs £75 a week. The cost does not include power but covers service charges and business rates. It's a cost effective solution offering companies an easy in and easy out solution. Of course, there will be opportunities for companies wishing to expand to move into the proper offices which form part of project."

Northern Media, graphic design firm Unusual, and production company ABF Pictures are amongst those companies occupying the container offices.

The Sharp Project will include a total of 15,000 sq ft of office space for use by digital media companies, as well as a studio and design offices block with catering, reception and social facilities, together with approximately 38,000 sq ft of production space available on flexible terms.

A combined £6.3m of funding has been put towards the project from the North West Development Agency and European Regional Development Fund.

The funding was in addition to the investment from Manchester City Council in acquiring the building and preparing it for occupiers.

The building complex provides a total of about 200,000 sq ft of office and production accommodation and is within a short walk of the Central Park transport interchange, which incorporates a Metrolink station, which is due to open in 2011.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...ontainers.html

[Seasonedbest]

The Sharp Project makes a point

The shipping container solution packs in ‘small, creative companies’
Date Published: 01/06/2010

We’ve had this press release from the New East Manchester regeneration agency about the city’s own modest Mediacity project which has taken the old Sharp factory on Oldham Road, filled it with containers and called it luvvie home.
The Sharp Project has been extremely well received by the sector and we’ve had a tremendous amount of interest just through word of mouth, with very little marketing.
New East Manchester is welcoming its first tenants to the Sharp Project in Newton Heath, east Manchester. A total of 11 digital, media and creative companies, including ABF Pictures, Red Handed Cameras Ltd and Project:Simply, are occupying space in some of the converted shipping containers now in position in part of the 200,000 sq ft digital content complex which is due to be completed this Autumn.
Providing affordable business space for small, creative companies, the containers can be rented for £40 a week for a single (160 sq ft) and £75 for a double (320 sq ft) which includes a service charge and business rates. The glass-fronted unfurnished units come complete with power sockets and broadband connection.
Sue Woodward OBE, Director for the Sharp Project said: “The Sharp Project has been extremely well received by the sector and we’ve had a tremendous amount of interest just through word of mouth, with very little marketing. The shipping containers are part of our affordable and flexible ‘easy in, easy out’ philosophy. The modular design is perfect for maximising space, look great and are really popular as so cost effective. It’s fantastic to see a new community starting to emerge.”

Eddie Smith, New East Manchester’s chief executive said: “New East Manchester is proud to be delivering a building that will offer a world-class infrastructure for digital companies with a unique ability to tap into incredibly fast broadband connectivity starting at 1GB which, until now, was unheard of. We have the potential to help up to 85 digital businesses and eventually create 550 jobs in the digital sector here in east Manchester. The level of interest in the building reflects the latent demand for this kind of affordable workspace which is clearly responding to the needs of young, dynamic companies and provides an ideal environment for collaborative working.“
In total the Sharp Project offers 15, 000 sq ft of office space in addition to sound stages, production space, a music studio and a ‘winter garden’ communal space.
The former Sharp warehouse is currently undergoing a £16.5 million refurbishment funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase 1 was completed in April. The building is located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park’s Gateway transport interchange, which includes a Metrolink station, due to open in spring 2011.



For more information on the Sharp Project visit http://www.thesharpproject.co.uk/ or for information on New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co...int-_11280.asp

[flange]

Two deals at Sharp Project

5 Jul 2010, 11:14

Publicly-backed media business centre, The Sharp Project in east Manchester, has signed up the first tenants to a refurbished office block within the 200,000 sq ft site.

Fledgling businesses SUNDE Technologies and Peddlers Cross Creative have taken two suites at the 15,000 sq ft two-storey office wing. Units range from 200 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft. The Sharp Project could not confirm immediately which units the pair had leased.

The 200,000 sq ft digital content complex is due to be completed early next year. The two deals take the total number of tenants now located at the east Manchester site to 24.

Sue Woodward, director of the Sharp Project, said: "This office accommodation complements our shipping containers and adds to the range of environments we can offer our tenants.

"What's emerging is a community for digital production specialists. Tenants like SUNDE, who offer affordable technology services, play a vital part in supporting the other companies and our vision is for all our businesses to flourish under one roof."

The Sharp Project is a not-for-profit initiative led by urban regeneration company, New East Manchester, on behalf of site owners Manchester City Council.

Bashi Ali of SUNDE Technologies said: "We're really pleased to be part of the Sharp Project. There's real synergy here as we're both about accessing affordable computing technology. We offer Ultra-thin clients that allow you to share untapped resources from one host PC amongst 40 users. Our prime focus is reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), IT cost reductions, meeting CRC directives and realising our dream of green computing for everyone. We are growing to become one of the most competitive providers of ultra-thin client products with plans to become a market leader."

The former Sharp warehouse is currently undergoing a £16.5m refurbishment funded by Manchester City Council, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase 1 was completed in April. The building is located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park's Gateway transport interchange, which includes a Metrolink station, due to open in spring 2011.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...p-project.html

[SteKnight]

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/ar..._bbc_kids_show

Shine TV selects the Sharp Project for new BBC kids show
Published Tuesday 3rd August 10

Shine TV has kicked off a new BBC children’s series at Manchester’s newest production base, the Sharp Project in east Manchester.

Filming for the show, 'My Genius Idea', has started and nine 30 minute programmes will be broadcast on CBBC later this year.

Founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine TV is one of the UK's largest independent production companies specialising in entertainment, factual and drama programmes including MasterChef, Don't Stop Believing, Merlin and The Biggest Loser. Set up in 2001, it has offices in London, Manchester and Cardiff.

The show has built a large scale set in one of the Sharp Project's sound stages, designed by North West based Barcode Media's Stephen Graham.

Sue Woodward OBE, Director for the Sharp Project said: "This is just one of a number of big names in TV production that are interested in our facilities at the Sharp Project. We have 70,000 sq ft of sound stage space and can accommodate a full range of large and small scale productions. We now have a host of companies located here that can support production companies by offering services such as kit hire, post production, editing facilities and set design. One of our tenants, Barcode Media, designed this particular set. We really are creating our very own eco-system where both small and large businesses can feed off each other and thrive."

Moray London, 'My Genius Idea' Series Producer said: "I was really impressed at the spaces the Sharp project could offer our production. In the end we opted for one of the huge ground floor spaces which gave us the industrial look we were looking for."

"Due to the nature of our schedule there were gaps in between the filming, the Sharp project allowed us the flexibility of leaving the set standing throughout the run which not only helped with construction time and convenience, but the budget too."

"The site offered everything we were looking for; a large industrial space, production offices, secure parking and very competitive rates."

The redevelopment of the former Sharp warehouse is being led by New East Manchester Ltd. The site is currently undergoing a £16.5 million refurbishment funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase 1 was completed in April. Phase 2 is open to tenants and a further two phases will be completed by the end of the year in time for the opening of the new Central Park Metrolink station, due to open next Spring.

The building is located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park's Gateway and is already home to 25 companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and production for TV and film.

For more information on the Sharp Project visit www.thesharpproject.co.uk or for information on New East Manchester visit http://www.neweastmanchester.com/

[flange]

Lawyer plugs into Sharp Project

13 Aug 2010, 10:51

The Sharp Project, Manchester City Council's 200,000 sq ft not-for-profit media and creative industries centre, has attracted a Newcastle-based law firm to take space.

Ward Hadaway will initially base two people from its creative industries team at the building in East Manchester.

Laura Harper, partner, will work alongside a solicitor at Sharp Project and has taken occupation already. She said: "Moving here is a great opportunity for our creative industries team to be in on the ground and right in the heart of the action as the Sharp Project develops.

"We pride ourselves on delivering a legal service which really talks the language of the creative community and addresses the issues which matter most to them. Being here gives us an excellent chance to be able to demonstrate that.

Ward Hadaway, which also has an office in Leeds, works with technology companies, games developers, artists, advertising and design agencies, film companies, musicians and producers.

Sue Woodward, project director for the Sharp Project, said: "We are creating our very own eco-system of companies here so each can support each other and grow.

"To have a specialist law firm with an excellent track record in the media and creative sector located here is a massive asset and a real plus for our tenants."

The Sharp Project is located at the former Sharp warehouse on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park's Gateway transport interchange.

It is being refurbished at a cost of £16.5m, funded by Manchester City Council, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund. Phase one of the project was completed in April and 25 companies have taken space.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...p-project.html

[CDX]

Phase 2 now fully let, Phase 1 filling fast. New roof going on Phase 3, creating 25,000 of new space ready Spring 2011
http://twitter.com/sharpproject

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/ar...2_is_fully_let

New roof going on Phase 3,
http://www.thesharpproject.co.uk/rai...beam-carpenter


http://www.flickr.com/photos/4973992...57624722742369

looks to be a feature on it in Blueprint magazine,

Blueprint architecture & design mag 6 page spread on The Sharp Project: "looks set to reorientate MCR as a new centre of high-tech media"
http://twitter.com/sharpproject

[flange]

Music studios on site at Sharp Project

18 Oct 2010, 14:25

Music producer 80 Hertz Recording & Post Production Studios has started construction of a two-storey recording studio at the Sharp Project in east Manchester.

The 2,650 sq ft facility will have a six metre high live room for recording, mixing and mastering music. It will also be used for music composition, post production for television, film scores and advertisements. There is also studio space for hire, enabling smaller digital content based businesses to tap into the 24/7 media production facility.

George Atkins, the record producer who owns 80 Hertz, has worked with Lily Allen, The Twang, Twisted Wheel, Dizzee Rascal's label and Nigel Martin Smith's management company.

Atkins said: "Our unique selling point is the huge live room, allowing for beautiful natural acoustics in combination with ability to use the live room for many other ancillary uses, such as an events venue and photo studio.

"The design is forward thinking and has taken into full consideration the way media is now being created, distributed and consumed. It enables us to produce music to a world class standard 24/7. We also have scope to provide other forms of high quality content for the digital age i.e. streaming live video footage of events and gigs via Sharp's gigabit fibre Internet connection."

Sue Woodward, director of the Sharp Project, said: "It's tremendously exciting to have someone of this calibre in our building. 80 Hertz Studios is another jewel in the Sharp Project's crown. It allows us to offer our other tenants another brand new facility right on site which is fantastic. George approached us at just the right time. We were able to weave the recording studio into our plans so they had the freedom to create a space that suited their big ideas."

The former Sharp warehouse is being redeveloped by New East Manchester, the urban regeneration company, funded by £16.5m from Manchester City Council, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

The recording studio is due for completion early in the New Year.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...p-project.html

[CDX]

Here's the Blueprint article,
http://www.blueprintmagazine.co.uk/i...ter-gets-sharp



you've got to love stats like this,

‘The big two single infrastructure issues and therefore capital spend are connectivity and power. We’ve got 6mW of power for this building; when you say that people begin to sit up, because that’s enough to power Disneyland in Paris. 4mW of that will be used to sustain 30,000sq ft (2,787sq m) of multiple-usage data centre. We need an extra 2mW because if you have 30 people working transferring files to Tokyo to Toronto to Tehran and back, that’s a lot of power,’ she says. The Sharp Project takes advantage of its proximity to Manchester Science Park, which, boasts Woodward, has the third most significant internet exchange in the UK, the largest outside London. The Sharp Project has a direct link into their data centre from that exchange. ‘We go straight on to the net from here,’ says Woodward.

[flange]

Manchester to borrow £227m for capital projects

10 Feb 2011, 11:07

Manchester City Council has revealed details of its capital programme for the next three years, detailing projects that are safe from the cutbacks announced earlier this week.

.....

The Sharp Project Digital Media Centre received £3.979m this year and is set to receive £450,000 in 2011/12.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...-projects.html

[flange]

From this weeks Greater Manchester Business Week.

[flange]

Sharp Project releases third phase

East Manchester media hub markets more space

17/02/2011 10:02:50

The Sharp Project, Manchester City Council’s media hub in Newton Heath, has released 30,000 sq ft of space for rent in the final phase of the 200,000 sq ft digital content complex.

The space has a mezzanine level with offices, glazed roofs suitable for office or studio use in 28 units from 500 sq ft through to 1,300 sq ft and a large courtyard in the centre for social space.

Sue Woodward OBE, director for the Sharp Project, said: “This new phase adds to the range of environments we can offer potential new tenants. What’s emerging is a community for digital production specialists. We’re providing the space, power and connectivity to allow all our businesses to flourish under one roof.”

The construction of Sharp Project is being led by urban regeneration company, New East Manchester on behalf of the council.

Steve Thorncroft, New East Manchester’s deputy chief executive, said: “The release of Phase 3 is another milestone in the construction of The Sharp Project. We’re helping to deliver a facility for creative companies who specialise in digital content. By providing the right environment, Manchester will remain a key player in this growing sector, bringing jobs and investment to the city.”

Bramall Construction is undertaking the work on the former factory. The facility, designed by PRP Architects, should be finished by the end of March, just before the new Metrolink tram line opens.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co...hase_17076.asp

[flange]

Sky and Tiger Aspect choose The Sharp Project

25 Feb 2011, 15:36

BSKYB and independent television company, Tiger Aspect Productions, have selected The Sharp Project digital media centre in east Manchester for the filming of the first Sky 1 HD comedy drama, Mount Pleasant.

Tiger Aspect, the company behind TV drama series including Robin Hood and The Deep on BBC 1, have hired two of the four available sound stages, totalling 16,000 sq ft, together with an additional 8,000 sq ft of customised production offices.

These are all wireless enabled with a high speed band width and include fully equipped costume, make up, dressing and green rooms and laundry facilities. Filming of the eight 60 minute episodes will start in March with the series being broadcast in the autumn.

Sue Woodward, director of The Sharp Project, said: "Tiger Aspect is a premier league signing for us. It's great they chose us for this very northern production. The city has made a considerable investment in The Sharp Project to help further build on the excitement generated by Media City UK. Together we are delivering a rich and wide range of production facilities for companies looking for opportunities outside London."

Howard Ella, line producer for Tiger Aspect, added: "The location of The Sharp Project is ideal for access to the city and all of our locations and allows us to base office and production on one site. Also the large size of the main stage is perfect for housing the four large sets being built in one space. With a large production office and all of our design, costume, make up and artist facilities in the building we have a production model that allows us to meet the demands of a very busy schedule and (hopefully!) deal with the surprises that every big shoot brings."

The Sharp Project is based at the former Sharp warehouse less than ten minutes from Manchester city centre, located on Thorp Road, off Oldham Road and next to Central Park's Gateway transport interchange, which includes a Metrolink station, due to open this spring.

The 200,000 sq ft complex offers a mix of office accommodation in converted shipping containers, to offices complete with skylights and mezzanine views over a central campus.

The first phase was completed in April 2010. The £16.5m refurbishment project is being funded by Manchester City Council, the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

The not for profit initiative is being led by urban regeneration company New East Manchester on behalf of site owner Manchester City Council.

Bramall Construction is undertaking the construction work on the refurbished building designed by PRP Architects.

http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news...rk-revand.html

[flange]

Lime Pictures moves into The Sharp Project for Fresh Meat

Monday, 07 March 2011

Fresh Meat, a new comedy drama series for Channel 4, is set to be filmed at Manchester’s The Sharp Project, after the creative hub struck an agreement with programme makers Lime Pictures and Objective Productions.

Lime and Objective have signed up to use Sharp’s 30,000 sq ft production stage to film the eight-show series, which follows a group of six student housemates as they embark on their first year at university in Manchester.

Sharp vision for Fresh MeatThe series has been created by lead writers Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, known in the industry for their work on fellow Channel 4 comedy Peep Show.

Lime and Objective will begin set building for the show later this month, with the stage hired for a total period of 28 weeks.

Lime’s Jamie Hall, the firm’s group head of production, said that the two companies shared an “aspiration to create a hit show for Channel 4 that becomes a long running returning series.”

The casting line-up for Fresh Meat has yet to be confirmed, with trade reports suggesting that the production will focus on ‘fresh faces’.

C4 drama chief Camilla Campbell recently described the series as "This Life with more jokes."

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-m...2011030710442/

[hulmeman2]

Pretty cool or what?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-aeh9QrdI

[Seasonedbest]

Originally Posted by flange

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-m...2011030710442/

This is definitely in full swing now. 10-15 trucks, vans (4 +Panalux vans) catering, makeup etc. Good to see passing on the train.

[flange]

Launch puts Sharp Project at the cutting edge

30th June 2011

By James Graham - Business Correspondent

THE Sharp Project, a 200,000 sq ft media facility in east Manchester, was officially launched last night.

The first tenants moved into the old Sharp Electronics warehouse in Newton Heath last year but the site was only finished recently.

It is home to around 30 companies specialising in digital content production, digital media and production for TV and film.

Many of these are start-ups, benefiting from rents as low as £50 a week, but space has also been created for larger businesses, and major production companies use the project's four production stages which range in size from 4,000 sq ft to 28,000 sq ft.

Lime Pictures is making Fresh Meat, a comedy drama written by Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, at the Sharp Project, and Tiger Aspect has used the site to make a new show called Mount Pleasant. Both will be screened later in the year.

The centre also has a 2,650 sq ft recording studio designed and managed by George Atkins and John Wood who have moved their 80 Hertz Recording Studios from Salford.

The £16.5m refurbishment was funded by Manchester City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last night Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: "My first experience of this building was a walk around it when it was an empty, derelict warehouse. I have to say it was a pretty miserable-looking place.

"This was originally meant to be a joint venture but then something called the credit crunch occurred and the only viable way of continuing was if the city council took it on its own. We did and I have to say we have absolutely no regrets. The question now is how we maximise value out of the media and creative businesses we have in here, and how do we turn this into Sharp Project two, three and four."

Sue Woodward, a director of the project who has overseen its development, said the city council's purchase of the building had been a way of protecting its investment in the wider One Central Park area. Said the vision was to "create a place that wasn't anti-corporate, but counter-corporate in its attitude... Something where people can do business in a different way."

"We intend to be a disrupting market force," added Ms Woodward.

http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/

[jrb]

MEN.

The major players in Manchester’s creative and digital sector converged on The Sharp Project for an inaugural summit on the industry’s future in the city.

The event, which aimed to help Manchester find its voice within a rapidly evolving global market, was designed to provoke a debate between the region’s most powerful influencers.

Devised in the same spirit of collaboration which inspired the creation of The Sharp Project, the summit brought together key representatives from the BBC, tech company Cisco, the Manchester City Council and creative professionals from across the city.

Host, and director of The Sharp Project, Sue Woodward led proceedings by urging delegates to work together to build a compelling story which will sell the city to the rest of the world.

Key issues, such as how best to train and retain skilled professionals and how to improve internal communication within the Manchester eco-system, were raised as key challenges facing the sector.

The event itself culminated in a showpiece boardroom discussion with the likes of designer Peter Saville and council leader Sir Richard Leese slugging it out over what approach should be adopted going forward.

Mike Emmerich, chief executive of the New Economy and chair for the debate, said: "It was an honour to be asked to be involved and no one will take this more serious than my team.

“We will listen to what was said and do something about it.

"There was a real diversity of informed strong opinions from business, the public sector and content providers.

“It’s something that couldn’t have happened 20 years ago or in any other city outside London. It was superbly conceived and excellently executed.

"There is a need for us to collaborate to secure our advantages and make the most of the potential we have here in this sector."

The summit started with feedback from a ‘basecamp’ conference held the previous week involving small and medium sized creative businesses operating across Manchester.

Basecamp attendees highlighted MediaCityUK, The Sharp Project and Corridor Manchester as being key assets for the city, but also emphasised the need to tackle the development of core skills within the city.

Dan Sodergren, commercial director of goAugmented based in the city centre, attended both events and welcomed the opportunity for smaller companies like his to talk to key industry players and major companies such as Cisco.

He said: "As a business specialising in the new Manchester economy base of creative and digital, we loved the fact that The Sharp Project hosted and created this event. We finally have been asked about our thoughts on the future from businesses and organisations that stand for Manchester.

"To have the ears of the real decision makers might just make all the difference not only to our company but in use of mobile technologies for years to come.

He added: "Just like the Sharp Project building itself the event’s foundations are giving the whole of Manchester a great opportunity to specialise in digital on a global scale which is what the future of Manchester must all be about. The Sharp Project, the BBC coming, MediaCityUK, all this might just mean that we don’t have to move down to London to be seen and heard."

A presentation which encouraged delegates to embrace a forthcoming ‘technology avalanche’ was also delivered by Cisco’s chief futurist Dave Evans from San Jose via live video link during the summit.

[flange]

Sharp Project buoyed by Mount Pleasant recommission

Thursday 20 October 2011

Sky1 drama Mount Pleasant has been recommissioned - a boon for its Manchester production base the Sharp Project which is gearing up for self-sufficiency.

The set and props from the first show, which started in March, have been left standing at one of the facility's four sound stages and will now come back to life for a shoot of around 10 weeks.

Mount Pleasant is penned by Shameless writer Sarah Hooper and produced by London's Tiger Aspect Productions.

The management team at the Sharp Project is now looking for a second series of Channel 4's Fresh Meat which was shot on its 28,000 sq ft stage.

ITV Granada's former managing director Sue Woodward, pictured, has spent the past three years managing the transformation of the site in Newton Heath from a Sharp Electronics warehouse to a cutting-edge media facility.

That process, which was funded with £16.5m from Manchester City Council, the European Regional Development Fund and the Northwest Development Agency, is now coming to an end. By April the builders will have left and it will have to be a self-sustaining enterprise.

Woodward says the 250,000 sq ft centre is on track to achieve this goal.

"Our primary objective is to develop the sector and encourage new businesses and new jobs. We have to be a business that washes its face - to cover all our costs. We can't expect a hand-out.

It is now home to 45 companies specialising in digital media production and its stages have been booked up 65% of the time with the latest being Theatre of Dreams, a film about Sir Matt Busby which saw the recreation of the Munich air crash.

There is also a recording studio on a 10-year lease and office space for production crews and companies at various stages of development.

The cheapest is a converted shipping container at £45 a week, while offices start at £16.50/sq ft, including £6 of service charges, rising to £18.50 for the latest space which has just become available. There is now a waiting list for the containers. Another revenue stream is a membership scheme allowing people to use an open plan 'campus' area.

Woodward has also set aside a 28,000 sq ft area below the largest sound stage to host data centres. "Data centres pay more than drama," she jokes.

"We've got space, power and connectivity. We had so many people coming to us, too many to have a conversation with, so we've passed them to CBRE to assess their offers and come back to us."

Woodward adds: "People used to say you're very brave, which is short for 'you must be a mad woman' but I knew we could get this right," says Woodward. "But it's not easy. The answer isn't to just go to a property agent or to build a building and say 'they will come', it's a much more complicated and complex situation.

"At the Sharp Project everything has been thought through from the carpet tiles, to the coffee on sale, to every single revenue stream. Everything has been discussed and debated - it's been put through the mincer."

Over in Salford the Peel Group has also spent the past three years pulling a media centre together which has attracted big name tenants - the BBC, ITV and the University of Salford. It has the Greenhouse for smaller media businesses and sound stages at the Pie Factory. But Woodward sees no overlap.

"You would never ask that question in London - 'why have you got Channel 4, Sky, White City and Shoreditch?' There are 73,000 creative and digital employees just in Greater Manchester alone and 320,000 in the North West that push £13bn into the economy. Outside London we're it. We're not just the second city, we're the other city in the media and content market in Europe.

"The question isn't 'why does Manchester have MediaCity and the Sharp Project?' The question is 'what's the next biggest digital and media cluster going to do next?' We should be more confident in our own ambition."

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-m...11020100955711

[jrb]

Place North West.

Sharp Project hires CBRE to handle data centre space

19 Oct 2011, 15:26

James Graham


CBRE has been appointed to handle the leasing of the data centre element at East Manchester's Sharp Project as the media facility moves towards self-sufficiency.

The 250,000 sq ft Sharp Project is home to 45 companies specialising in digital media production and has four sound stages used by TV drama and film producers.



But it sees the provision of 28,000 sq ft of data centre space underneath a sound stage as an essential part of its business plan. The boom in cloud computing - where data is stored remotely on the internet - has driven demand for data centres which store numerous racks of computer servers.

"Data centres pay more than drama," jokes former Granada managing director Sue Woodward, pictured, who has overseen the transformation of the site in Newton Heath from a Sharp Electronics warehouse to a cutting-edge media facility.

That three-year process, which was funded with £16.5m from Manchester City Council, the European Regional Development Fund and the North West Development Agency, is now coming to an end. From April 2012 it will have to be a self-sustaining enterprise although Woodward declined to say how much the centre needs to break even, citing commercial sensitivity.

A six megawatt power supply combined with powerful internet connectivity through its own fibre means it is a desirable location for data centre businesses.

"We've got space, power and connectivity", says Woodward. "We had so many people coming to us, too many to have a conversation with, so we've passed them to CBRE to assess their offers and come back to us."

The sound stages, which range in size from 4,000 sq ft to 28,000 sq ft, have hit a 65% occupancy target this year and have been used recently for the production of the Sky 1 comedy drama Mount Pleasant, Channel 4's Fresh Meat and a film about Sir Matt Busby called Theatre of Dreams.

There is also a recording studio on a 10-year lease and office space and facilities aimed at production crews and companies at various stages of development. The cheapest are converted shipping containers at £45 a week, while offices start at 16.50/sq ft - including £6 of service charges - rising to £18.50 for the latest space which has just become available.

There is now a waiting list for the containers and the offices at £16.50/sq ft are 65% let. Another revenue stream is a membership scheme allowing people to use an open plan 'campus' area.

"Our primary objective is to develop the sector and encourage new businesses and new jobs," says Woodward. "We have to be a business that washes its face - to cover all our costs. We can't expect a hand-out.

"People used to say you're very brave, which is short for 'you must be a mad woman', but I knew we could get this right. But it's not easy. The answer isn't to just go to a property agent or to build a building and say 'they will come', it's a much more complicated and complex situation.

"At the Sharp Project everything has been thought through from the carpet tiles, to the coffee on sale, to every single revenue stream. Everything has been discussed and debated - it's been put through the mincer."

Over in Salford the Peel Group has also spent the past three years pulling a media centre together which has attracted big name tenants - the BBC, ITV and the University of Salford. It has the Greenhouse for smaller media businesses and sound stages at the Pie Factory. But Woodward sees no overlap.

"You would never ask that question in London - 'why have you got Channel 4, Sky, White City and Shoreditch?' There are 73,000 creative and digital employees just in Greater Manchester alone and 320,000 in the North West that push £13bn into the economy. Outside London we're it. We're not just the second city, we're the other city in the media and content market in Europe.

"The question isn't 'why does Manchester have Media City and the Sharp Project?' The question is 'what's the next biggest digital and media cluster going to do next?' We should be more confident in our own ambition."