Threshold hosts Business Secretary Vince Cable

Today we were visited at our Northampton offices by Secretary of State, Vince Cable, for an intimate conversation regarding Threshold’s future within a new and changing industry.

Threshold welcomed the recommendations outlined within the CIC Skillset report and described to the Minister some of the experiences we’ve had, and some of the challenges on the horizon, in response to key points laid out within the report.

Topics of the day included: emerging platforms for media distribution such as Internet Protocol Television and the challenges around protection of Intellectual Property, and ensuring creative SMEs are not inadvertently squeezed out of the distribution mechanisms by overly strict copyright protection strategies; creating a sector-ready workforce through talent development, meaningful internships, investment in young creatives outside of schools; and the important link between art and technology.

The Minister applauded our ambitions to broker relationships between business, the arts and the HE sector and was encouraged by our ‘embryonic’ relationship with The University of Northampton, and felt the sector ‘could do very well’ by nurturing the kinds of activities and ambitions we presented.

Following the meeting, he was given a hands-on experience of the 3D Cave within The University of Northampton’s NVision department, the only five sided immersive 3D environment in the country.