Leeds secondary school invests £1.8 million in centre of excellence for performing arts

It is hoped that the newly built state-of-the-art facility at Boston Spa Academy will help nurture the next generation of stars of stage and screen.

The centre of excellence will aim to offer an exceptional standard of educational opportunity for students aged from 11 to 19-years-old.

Boston Spa Academy, part of The GORSE Academies Trust, has invested £1.8m in a new Performing Arts facility to deliver a centre of excellence for performing arts in the area.

The GORSE Academies Trust has used its Schools Capital Allocation to fund the significant investment, in order to support its desire to develop the talent and and potential of students through shaping character and cultivating ambition.

Peter Hollywood, principal at Boston Spa Academy on Clifford Moor Road, said: “We recognise the value of having a large performance and practice space for our wider community. We have already established an important community and curriculum link with both the orchestra of Opera North and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance; furthermore, we have the support of several local performing arts groups who would like to be strategic partners within our vision.”

He added: “We believe the performing arts will be at the centre of our growth within the community and will have an even greater impact across the region as we grow and develop.”

The new building is made up of a new Performing Arts Centre (PAC) for the academy, with a hall as the focal point. Future phases of the design will see the addition of new dance, drama and music facilities.

A new single storey foyer links the hall to the adjacent science block and contains a new main entrance and reception area for welcoming visitors to school and guests attending events. Office accommodation, meeting rooms and new student and visitor toilets have also been built.

The building – which is due to open in November 2022 – follows on from an earlier multi-million pound investment from the trust which saw the transformation of Post-16 education; the social areas; the catering facilities and toilets.