In recognition of its specialist performing arts provision, Leeds Conservatoire has been awarded a funding boost from the Office for Students (OfS): £1million per annum for academic years 2022/23 to 2026/27.
Musical Theatre students Jayden Jamieson-Hixon and Alex Terry in Merrily We Roll Along (2022). Photo credit: Ian Hodgson.
This funding is designed to improve access and teaching resources for contemporary music, drama and dance courses, and will support:
- improved delivery of teaching and learning to students;
- development of partnerships with other higher education providers, nationally and internationally, or relevant industries to improve study and career opportunities for students;
- access to specialist performing arts education for students from underrepresented groups;
- provision of specialist equipment for students, such as musical instruments, costumes or computing equipment.
In the funding announcement, Susan Lapworth, Chief Executive of the OfS, said:
“The performing arts make a significant economic and cultural contribution to society. They enrich lives and create tens of thousands of jobs across the UK. Students choosing performing arts courses develop diverse skills and have a wide range of career opportunities."
"The OfS’s investment will ensure that current and future generations of students – whatever their background – are able to succeed during their studies and into their careers. The small size and highly specialised approach of the institutions we are funding play an important role in their educational experience of students, and this funding will ensure they can continue to deliver a high quality experience."
“We continue to invest in alternative routes into higher education to widen the opportunities available to every student. Today’s investment in degree apprenticeships and Level 4 and 5 qualifications will ensure that more can be done to extend the range of training available. We encourage universities and colleges to continue to develop and evaluate these courses to ensure students are equipped with the skills they need for their first or next career.”
Professor Joe Wilson, Principal at Leeds Conservatoire, added:
“We are delighted to have been awarded this funding and that the OfS has acknowledged the significant economic and cultural contribution to society the performing arts make. Our graduates are in demand and work in a wide range of roles but what makes them truly distinctive is the multidisciplinary training and entrepreneurial spirit that places them at the forefront of their fields.”
