UK school project for northern England gets green light | Bradford

Bradford

A specialist creative college modeled on the Croydon institution that nurtured Adele and Amy Winehouse will be located in Bradford

PA Media

Sun, Aug 20, 2023 4:20 a.m. EDT

The Department for Education has approved plans for a Nordic version of the British school, which has nurtured artists such as Adele and Amy Winehouse.

The BPI – the representative voice of record companies across the UK – plans to open a new specialist creative college in Bradford, West Yorkshire around 2026-27 to enable students aged 16-19 to studying performance, production and digital materials.

The app, called Brit School North, is modeled after the successful British school in Croydon, south-west London, which opened in 1991, is free and counts Raye and Loyle Carner among its alumni students.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer told the Mail on Sunday that she was looking for “the next Adele or Amy Winehouse”.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: ‘The north is teeming with creative talent’, adding that the new school would mean ‘more young people will be able to reach their potential’.

BPI chief executive Jo Twist said the plan’s approval was “a positive signal that the government recognizes the crucial importance of creative and specialist education in the creative arts”.

She added: “The UK is a world leader in the music and creative industries and if we want this to continue we need to invest in the highly transferable talent and skills needed for a competitive economy.”

BPI chair YolanDa Brown said the new school would improve access to creative education and reduce the need for young people to move to London and the South East.

For the offer, there was a collaboration between the BPI, the record labels Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK, the Brit school, East London Arts & Music (ELAM) and the Day One Trust which manages ELAM and the London Screen Academy (LSA).

The three partner record labels have pledged to contribute an initial amount of additional funding to the school, which should be used to finance the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “This is a fantastic win for the North and supports our ambition to provide opportunity for everyone, no matter where you are from or where you live.

“The rise of Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 has already begun to inspire the next generation of artists.

“And now, with West Yorkshire becoming the home of Brit School North, more young people can follow in the footsteps of our world-class local artists, from Mel B and Corinne Bailey Rae to the Kaiser Chiefs.”

Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the school was “great news for the district of Bradford”.

“There is a huge creative and cultural buzz around Bradford at the moment. We are gearing up to be the UK’s City of Culture in 2025 and will soon be celebrating the opening of Bradford Live, a new 4,000-seat concert venue in the former Odeon cinema,” she said.

“I am delighted that the BPI have decided that Bradford would be the ideal location for their new school. It is a great decision on their part.

“There is enormous talent in our young, energetic and diverse population and this can bring them life-changing opportunities.

“It’s exciting to think of the future stars of music, art, film, television and dance in our region. This school will help them achieve their dreams.

Bradford-born singer Zayn Malik, a former member of One Direction, was among those who voiced their support for the new school.