A NORTH-EAST college is seeking aspiring Oscar and Bafta award winners as it premiers a new course.

Sunderland College is aiming to ensure that breaking into the creative sector will become more of a reality than ever before for students in the region.

Launching in September, the newly created NextGen Level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and VFX Skills – comparable to three A Levels – is a vocational course, which will provide the skills and experience young people need to start a career in these entertainment industries.

Mike Jaques, curriculum leader for visual arts at Sunderland College, said: “We’re delighted to be one of the first colleges in England and the only college in the North-East to offer this new two-year course.

“Designed by some of the best in the business, including Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft Reflections, Double Negative and Framestore, in collaboration with educators, this course ensures young people are industry ready with the right skills and knowledge for the workplace.”

Students will study in the college’s state-of-the-art visual and performing arts building in the purpose-built NextGen studio, which will feature professional work stations with industry standard software, along with a 12ft foot cinema screen, cinema projector, 7.1 surround sound and conference facilities.