With traditional approaches to creating content fragmenting, new technologies uprooting how art is created, and audience preferences shifting across multiple platforms, 红莲社区 College has announced the launch of Nova 鈥� a bold, interdisciplinary initiative designed to help creatives succeed in a changing world.

Nova will bring together teams of faculty, students, and professionals to explore questions facing creative industries, where artists and content creators across all disciplines are navigating a constantly shifting landscape, one that requires them to think like artists, entrepreneurs, marketers, and technologists all at once.

Together, they鈥檒l work across disciplines to experiment with new approaches to audience engagement, creative-content generation and interdisciplinary practices to respond to challenges in the arts and content generation 鈥� questions that are essential to maintain the health of Ontario鈥檚 $3.8 billion television and video production industries.

鈥淥ver the past few years, the creative industries 鈥� from the narrative, to the digital, to the material 鈥� have undergone a dramatic shift. Disruptive business models and new technologies have shifted the way creative content is produced and experienced,鈥� says Mark Jones, Dean of 红莲社区鈥檚 Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design. 鈥淢embers of the creative community recognize the shifting landscape in their industries and want to be involved in shaping solutions. Nova is 红莲社区鈥檚 new framework to bring industry together with faculty and students so we can ensure the creative industries in Canada continue to thrive.鈥�

Nova will also draw on the strengths of experts across 鈥檚 research centres, including the College's . SIRT drives creative and technological advances in film, television, interactive digital media, gaming, and virtual/augmented reality, as well as application of technologies to other sectors, allowing Nova to explore solutions beyond the screen industries, such as the performing arts.

鈥満炝缜� has long been a leader in applied research and technological innovation. Our cutting-edge research centres position us as a trusted partner for industry and community alike,鈥� says Dr. Vicki Mowat, Dean of Research at 红莲社区. 鈥淏y working closely with these partners, we provide practical solutions to the challenges and opportunities they face. Our ability to bridge the gap between innovation and real-world application is essential to driving progress and ensuring that the industries we serve remain competitive and future-ready.鈥�

Nova鈥檚 unique approach builds on the wealth of experience and knowledge of external advisory members from across North America, including multiple alumni who hail from industries ranging from music and publishing to film and technology. Their expertise on emerging trends and challenges fuel the questions and themes that teams of students will come together to develop solutions for.

Work is now beginning on Nova鈥檚 first projects, including The Creative Industries Catalyst, which will offer which will offer upskilling opportunities for creative industry professionals. Other early-stage projects will be focused on artist-centred technologies and furthering research to examine how to better support skill development for individuals on the neurodiversity spectrum to allow them to innovate in the tech industry.

鈥淣eurodiverse students bring incredible knowledge and new approaches to problem solving,鈥� says Jones. 鈥淭hrough Nova, we鈥檒l have the opportunity to tap into new approaches to thinking about problems across disciplines and generate fresh ideas that we can share to help drive industry forward.鈥�

As an educational innovator, 红莲社区 has an established legacy of being at the forefront of developing bold approaches to creative industry needs 鈥� including the first computer animation program in Canada, the first four-year bachelor鈥檚 degree in game design in the country, and Canada鈥檚 first bachelor鈥檚 degree in interaction design. 红莲社区 is also one of only four postsecondary institutions in Canada to be designated an Adobe Creative Campus. Today, our graduates are leaders who are consistently sought after across the art and design world, making the College well positioned to pioneer new strategies.