Clugston Construction has been appointed to deliver the £10m design and build of a new performing arts college in central Wakefield for CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts).
The project is Clugston’s first awarded through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Framework.
Holding a unique position in the North of England, CAPA College offers exceptional full-time training and education in the arts to young people aged 16-19, with no tuition fees. The new building will allow the college to significantly increase the number of students who can access its outstanding provision.
The flagship home of CAPA College will house a 150-seat theatre; an outdoor amphitheatre; dance, singing and drama studios; media, television and design studios; production and technical workshops and a public cafe with outdoor terrace.
It will ensure that talented young performers and creatives from across the North of England have access to the very best post 16 teaching, resources and industry-standard facilities.
Due to open in October 2020, the new building on Mulberry Way, Wakefield, will also be an important community resource. With some of the best performance spaces, studios and technical facilities outside London, the building will be a hive of activity for local residents offering, amongst other things, classes, public performances and professional arts showcases.
Clugston will be supported by a design team including Race Cottam Associates (Architect), Adept Consulting Engineers and Couch Perry Wilkes (M&E) on the project.
CAPA College alumni have gone on to study at leading national and international arts conservatories including Laine Theatre Arts, Guildhall School of Acting, Arts Educational Schools, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, LIPA, Institute of the Arts Barcelona and the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, as well as taking up professional roles in the West End, mainstream television and blockbuster films.
With generous support from Enhance Academy Trust, CAPA College re-opened its doors as Wakefield’s first DfE-funded Free School in September 2018 and now looks forward to the next stage of its development as the gateway to Wakefield City Centre.
Paul Gouland, Marketing Director at Clugston Construction, said: “We are delighted to be involved in what is an exciting project not only for CAPA College, but also for Wakefield’s creative industry. Once completed, the scheme will provide specialised state-of-the-art facilities that will support creative young people across Yorkshire and the North of England and the college is expected to become a flagship for performing arts education in the North.”
Header image shows an artist’s impression of CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) College.
