Opening in 2023, UC's Digital Screen Campus (DSC) will provide training for future leaders in film production, game development and cross reality, helping New 麻豆传媒团队play a key role in the future of digital screen convergence.
Responsible for overseeing the efficient development of all workstreams operating under the DSC umbrella, finding the right candidate for the Programme Manager was critical to the project.
鈥淚 have no doubt Chelsea will be a key player in guiding the DSC to profound success, to the betterment of our students, our university, and New 麻豆传媒团队as a whole,鈥 says DSC Programme Director听.
鈥淭his is the first of several strategic hires required as we curate the team necessary to execute our vision for the DSC, and I am excited to leverage Chelsea鈥檚 knowledge and expertise as she joins us on this journey.鈥
With more than a decade of experience in production, operations and regulatory affairs under her belt, Chelsea brings an extraordinary network of partners and collaborators in the game and media sector to the project team.
鈥淚 am thrilled to join such a competent and capable team, and to be part of the 麻豆传媒团队鈥檚 investment in the future of innovative creative technologies,鈥 she explains.
鈥淎s a life-long gamer, I鈥檝e witnessed first-hand the ability for games and interactive media to tell powerful stories and build lasting connections between people and communities. Christchurch has all of the pieces necessary to build a vibrant, thriving screen community existing at the nexus between digital technology and creative storytelling.鈥
In addition to her role at the DSC, Chelsea will continue as听听(NZGDA), an interactive media advocacy group whose membership includes more than 60 digital media and video game studios and 3,000 individual members. Elected in 2020, she works closely with government, tertiary education, trade organisations, and cross-industry partners to advocate for the interactive media industry.听
Chelsea joins UC from听., a Christchurch-based game studio responsible for mobile and digital location-based experiences for clients including Disney, Universal, DreamWorks and Pixar, where she worked as Head of Strategy and Business Development.
鈥淚t was my passion for games and technology that brought me to the NZGDA, where I鈥檝e had the honour of advocating for the interactive media industry and its wealth of passionate creative entrepreneurs, programmers, designers, artists and storytellers. I鈥檓 thrilled to have the opportunity to continue this work through the DSC and contribute to a project that will have such a profound impact on the future of the digital media industry in New Zealand.鈥
The University is also thrilled to formally welcome Petra Westropp as Project Manager of the DSC Innovation Hub.听
Home to an incubator, accelerator and co-working space for creative industries, the Innovation Hub will bring academia, commercial partners, mentors and representatives from across the digital screen industries together to share workspaces and collaboration zones on campus.
鈥淭he Innovation Hub will provide users, including our students, the tools and expertise they need to ideate a concept, incubate a start-up, accelerate it and then run their company, and I鈥檓 hugely excited to be part of that journey,鈥 Petra says.
Keith Longden, the University鈥檚 Executive Director of Planning, Finance and Digital Services, says appointing Petra to the role was an easy decision for the DSC project team.
鈥淗aving worked with Petra on the Digital Screen Campus project for almost two years, I鈥檓 confident her inherent proficiency and contacts in this space will bring significant value to a new and exciting endeavour for the 麻豆传媒团队.鈥 听
Both Petra and Chelsea, alongside CerebralFix and local screen innovators听听补苍诲听, were among the visionaries behind the recent听, which was hosted on UC鈥檚 Dovedale Campus, the space that will become the Digital Screen Campus.
Chelsea and Petra join Programme Director听听on the DSC management team. The appointment of a Partnership and Commercial Manager is expected soon.
