Projects per year
Personal profile
Experience
Richard currently leads USW's involvement in Media Cymru, focused on skills and training resaerch and solutions for the screen and media sector in Wales.
Richard is was previously the Course Leader for the MA Games Enterprise course. He also has been a Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Computer Games Design course since 2008. He specialises in games design, development process and the Welsh video games sector.
Between 2016 and 2023 Richard was co-ordinator for the UK Games Fund Tranzfuser, South Wales Hub. tranzfuser.com Tranzfuser is the first talent programme from UK Games Talent, it aims to provide an annual shot of top talent into the UK development ecosystem with a particular focus on creative team leaders of the future. It looks to supply a pipeline to enterprise and/or employment recognition for new UK games graduates, taking teams from concept and prototyping through to publishing. Teams taking part are awarded between £5,000 and £7,500 to showcase thier games at national trade events (like EGX and Insomnia) and pitch to a panel of industry experts for continued funding of up to £20,000. USW was a founding hub in 2016, with a winning and runner up teams in 2017, and EGX public vote winners in 2017, 2018 & 2019. More that £175,000 of funding has been awarded to USW studnet & graduate teams.
Richard is also actively involved in the development of the Computer Games Design alumni community and the games development community in South Wales as part of Games Wales.
Richard has a background in Computing and Interaction Design having graduated from the University of Wales, Newport postgraduate programme in 2005 with an MA in Design (New Media & Technology). Previously he studied for his BSc (Hons) Computer Science at Exeter University graduating in 2003.
After completing an MA in Design, he became Research Assistant for the Smart Clothes & Wearable Technology Research Group at the University of Wales. The research group was set up to undertake research into cutting edge clothing and consumer electronics technologies. Richard was involved in several research projects, which included developing New Product Development techniques along with concept design and the development of physical products and digital services.
Responsibilities:
2022 - Present Project Lead for Media Cymru Skills and Training
2022 - Present Creative Industries Research and Innovation Group Lead
2021 - Present FBCI Faculty Research Committee member
Experience
External:
In 2007 Richard was invited to join the team at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios to work on several interactive web-based projects.
In 2010 Richard was involved in the setup of WholeWorldBand (later Youdio). WholeWorldBand is a mobile app providing new promotion, collaboration and monetisation opportunities for artists, labels and publishers. It combines the intimacy of composition with the buzz of performance and the reach of social media. At WholeWorldBand our mission is to empower the creative community and marketplace to shape the future of music creation and personal experience. Richard was involved in many aspects of the business including, concept, design, technical specification, marketing, IP. He was an Exec-Director for the company from 2012-2014, splitting his time between Cardiff and Dublin for the duration.
Research interests
2021 - Present, Co-Investigator & USW Lead (0.4FTE) Media Cymru (UKRI Strength in Places Fund 2)
https://media.cymru/
https://culture.research.southwales.ac.uk/research/media-cymru/
2019 - 2021 Co-Investigator (0.2 FTE) Clwstwr (UKRI Creative Cluster)
clwstwr.org.uk
2019-2021 Co-Investigator (0.1 FTE) Audience of the Future Demonstrator Programme
www.uswaudienceofthefuture.co.uk, www.thebigfixup.co.uk, www.fictioneers.co.uk
Expertise
Screen Industries Research
Games Design, Development & Technologies
Digital Product & Service Development Process
Industry Collaboration & Partnerships
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Award Date: 25 Jul 2019
Design (New Media & Technology), MA
2003 → 2004
Computer Science, BSc (Hons), University of Exeter
2000 → 2003
External positions
Games Working Group, BAFTA Cymru
2025 → …
External Examiner, Middlesex University
2021 → 2024
External Examiner, University of Portsmouth
2017 → 2021
Awards Sub-Committee Co-opted Member, BAFTA Cymru
2016 → 2024
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 1 Active
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Media Cymru
Hurford, R., Lisk-Lewis, S., Davies, J., Davies, H., Jones, B. & Buckingham , S.
1/01/22 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Media Cymru Freelance Focus: Innovation
Davies, J., Jones, B. & Hurford, R., 25 Mar 2025, Cardiff : Media Cymru. 48 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Games Survey Wales 2024 Update: Mapping the Welsh Video Games Industry
Hurford, R., Jun 2024, Centre for the Study of Media and Culture in Small Nations.Research output: Book/Report › Other report
Open AccessFile312 Downloads (Pure) -
Media Cymru x USW - Training - Moho House: 2D Animation Software
Hurford, R., Lisk-Lewis, S., Rennie, J. & Stubbs, T., Feb 2024Research output: Non-textual form › Multi-component / Project
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Media Cymru x USW - Training - Sustainability Coordinator
Hurford, R. & Lisk-Lewis, S., Mar 2024Research output: Non-textual form › Multi-component / Portfolio
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Media Cymru x USW - Training - Virtual Production Essentials
Hurford, R., Lisk-Lewis, S. & Nelson-Tabor, J., 8 Jan 2024Research output: Non-textual form › Multi-component / Project
Activities
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Creative Industries Skills Policy Roundtable Skills challenges for the creative industries and the opportunities of reforms in the post-16 skills system
Richard Hurford (Lecturer)
12 Feb 2025Activity: Other › Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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Technology Adoption Review roundtable on the Creative Industries
Richard Hurford (Lecturer)
3 Feb 2025Activity: Other › Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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Apprenticeship Frameworks Reviews - Creative Industries: Screen Working Group
Richard Hurford (Lecturer)
3 Feb 2025Activity: Other › Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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Apprenticeship Frameworks Reviews - Creative Industries: Games & Animation Working Group
Richard Hurford (Lecturer)
31 Jan 2025Activity: Other › Types of Business and Community - Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
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Giving your research a voice in the Senedd - Panel
Richard Hurford (Speaker)
30 Nov 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
Press/Media
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Tilly Ashton discusses the Sustainability Coordinator training and placements
31/01/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Other
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Inaugural “Accessible Futures Summit” to Showcase Cutting-Edge Approaches to Inclusivity
Richard Hurford, Sally Lisk-Lewis & Bethan Jones
27/08/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Other
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Levelling up: Is the Welsh video games sector ready to build on its recent success?
5/08/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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BBC Radio Wales Science Cafe: Game Development in Wales
21/05/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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The Welsh animators at the forefront of innovative animation tech
21/03/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
Prizes
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Tranzfuser Local Hub of the Year 2019
Hurford, Richard (Recipient), 2019
Prize: National/international honour
Impacts
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Contribution to Creative Wales' Creative Skills Action Plan 2022 to 2025
Richard Hurford (Participant)
Impact: Public policy impacts
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Games Survey Wales 2021 report key stone research for the setting up of the Welsh Parliament's Inquiry into the video games industry.
Richard Hurford (Participant)
Impact: Public policy impacts
Datasets
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Games Survey Wales Company Data 2024
Hurford, R. (Creator), University of South Wales, 15 Aug 2024
Dataset
File