About Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media, established in 2006, is a highly innovative department, which brings together research, teaching and commercial activities in the fields of interactive media, film, television, and theatre. In September 2010, we moved into our current building, which has industry standard facilities for production, performance and academic study. We are dedicated to the exploration and production of creative content and experiences, informed by a deep, critical understanding of the theories and histories of our subject areas and of their wider social, cultural and industrial benefits.
TFTI currently has 34 academic staff, 20 professional support staff, as well as various staff attached to specific externally funded projects. We are still expanding rapidly, recruiting new staff, taking on new students and developing new degree programmes and research priorities. The academic staff include both leading scholars and award-winning industry professionals.
Our degree programmes are designed to equip graduates for successful careers in theatre, film, television, games, and emerging new media industries. They combine high level academic, creative and technical knowledge with practical skills, all delivered through innovative learning opportunities informed by industry practice. There are currently more than 650 students across all of our degree programmes. The Department currently offers four undergraduate degrees: a BA in the Business of the Creative Industries, a BSc in Film and Television Production, a BSc in Interactive Media and a BA in Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance. We also offer seven taught Masters degrees: a set of linked programmes in Film and Television Production with specialisations in Directing, Producing, CInematography, Sound and Visual Effects; and MAs in Theatre-Making and Playwriting. A new MA programme in Management of the Creative and Cultural Industries begins in autumn 2021. There are also thriving MRes and PhD programmes bringing together students from across the department's constituent disciplines, with several students working on practice-based projects.
Our research seeks to produce new knowledge and understanding of benefit to these industries, the content and experiences they produce, and to enrich society at large. We currently have research clusters focussing on Cultural Histories and Legacies; Digital Cultures; Health, Wellbeing and Accessibility; Immersive and Interactive Storytelling; Performance and Production Practices and Content. Our research also has a strong focus on partnerships with organisations, companies and professionals in the creative industries and we are currently leading four major collaborative research projects: Digital Creativity Labs, which brings together over 100 partners and 30 researchers from multiple disciplines to deliver impact from research in the games and media industries; XR Stories, which provides research and development funding to push forward the potential of immersive and interactive technologies for digital storytelling; Weavr, which has focussed on the development of a technology platform that uses live and historic data to create meaningful and personalised mixed-reality experiences for esports fans; and the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) which seeks to support companies in Yorkshire and Humber to develop their activities in line with a changing world and marketplace.
Further information about the department is available at: https://www.york.ac.uk/tfti/
