A new £21.5m film and digital media centre has opened its doors in Leicester, which has been designed to complement the city's new Curve theatre and the LCB Depot.

Nottingham-based property firm Blueprint, Phoenix Arts and Leicester City Council (LCC) have worked in collaboration with De Montfort University (DMU) on the project, which includes two purpose-built 3D cinemas and a café bar. A housing development, 22 workspaces, office studios and eight 'incubation units' for creative industries also form part of the scheme, along with the DMU Cube - an interactive digital art gallery.

Funding for the scheme came from a range of sources, including the European Regional Development Fund, DMU, East Midlands Development Agency and Arts Council England, as well as LCC. Speaking at the launch of the new centre on 19 November, LCC leader Ross Willmott said: "Phoenix Square is the all-important third piece of the jigsaw. We now have a state-of-the-art film and digital media centre in the Cultural Quarter to complement Curve, our award-winning theatre, and the LCB Depot, which is home to dozens of creative businesses.

"Thanks to our partnership with Blueprint, and our collaboration with De Montfort University, Leicester now has a facility that can only enhance the city's reputation as a hub for cultural excellence and innovation." Professor Andrew Hugill, director of DMU's Institute of Creative Technologies, added: "With facilities such as the DMU Cube, the screen lounge, the micro-cinema, the large screens and production studios, and the managed workspaces, we are going to be able to connect our work to the digital culture in new and previously unimaginable ways."