UK esports ecosystem welcomes brand-new Manchester Esports Academy
8 June 2023
Over the past few years, the UK esports ecosystem as a whole has been expanding at a rapid rate, in great part thanks to the growing role of esports in education. Just last week, we wrote an article about esports coming to primary education in Angus (Scotland), while earlier this year, we took a look at which colleges in the UK have the most registered gamers, for example. In that light, the recent opening of the Manchester Esports Academy represents an important next step in the development of esports in the UK. Dedicated esports academies have opened their doors in various countries in recent years, but are still a fairly new concept in the United Kingdom and the institute in Manchester is amongst the very first.
Holistic approach to education
The Manchester Esports Academy will be looking to stand out through its so-called holistic approach, where the development of esports skills goes hand in hand with the students’ personal development. This translates to a combination of professional coaching and guidance, and focus on the development of soft skills in areas like communication, leadership and mental health. Part of the programs on offer will also pay attention to nutrition and general health, as more and more is demanded from aspiring esports professionals.
“Manchester Esports Academy offers a unique approach by blending professional coaching and soft skills development”, says Abdiqani Ahmed, founder of UK esports organisation Lionscreed and Programme Lead at the Manchester Sports Academy, “With a focus on health and nutrition, the academy offers a holistic educational experience like no other and goes beyond traditional classroom-style training”.
Focus on young people
The Manchester Esports Academy’s target audience is young people, aged between 8 and 16 years old, from the Greater Manchester area, which includes major cities like Manchester, Bolton and Sale. The idea is to offer monthly subscription plans for youngsters who want to enrol at the academy, with special subsidy programs in place for youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students supported by children’s charity Children In Need, for example, will get the chance to attend for free with the help of a subsidy from the academy itself.
On top of that, the Manchester Esports Academy also makes efforts to educate the parents of its students. This includes discussing the numerous potential career pathways through the esports industry, which makes sense as parents are often less knowledgeable about these topics than their sons and daughters.
“The video game and esports industry is exploding on a global scale and we’re excited to support our young people in the region with the Manchester Esports Academy, in the heart of MediaCity”, says Mo Isap, CEO at the IN4 Group, the company behind the Manchester Esports Academy, “We believe young people from all backgrounds should have fair access to technology futures, and by supporting local young people to find their passion and harness it as fuel, they can achieve great things in their future careers”.