What is Newcastle's new LMA performing arts academy?
BBCA new north-east of England specialist performing arts academy for undergraduates, LMA Newcastle, opened on Monday.
Based on St James' Boulevard in the city centre, it is the third campus opened by the creative institution, which has other sites in Liverpool and London. The initials LMA reference the academy's history as the Liverpool Media Academy.
Who are the students?
The school's inaugural cohort is made up of 75 first-year Bachelor of Arts students, many of them from the North East.
"It's nice to have it on our doorstep," said 19-year-old Savannah Lily, from Jarrow, who came third in the 2021 edition of The Voice Kids UK and is now studying Music Performance at LMA.
"Usually you've got to, like, move somewhere else, so to have something on our doorstep is really good."
"It's so great to have all the arts collectively in one building, because then you can network and connect with each other," Lily says.
Who will be teaching?
The academy has 17 staff, of whom 15 are arts professionals currently practising in the industry and working part-time as freelancers at the academy. Principal Deni Chambers refers to them as the "rockstars on the roster".
They include:
- Mike Smith, music manager and producer who previously worked with Sam Fender
- Erin Caldwell, West End actress who starred as Veronica Sawyer in Heathers The Musical and played Jane Seymour in SIX The Musical on its UK and international tour
- Jazz Peters, dancer from South Shields who recently toured Europe with J Balvin and performed alongside 50 Cent on the London leg of his Final Lap tour.
- Kema Kay, rapper and actor from Newcastle who starred in I, Daniel Blake
Chambers said hiring staff native to the North East was a priority.
"Their experience growing up, having to leave the region - they absolutely want to make a difference to the next generation," she said.
Kema Kay grew up in the west end of Newcastle and sees teaching the Acting on Screen course at LMA as an opportunity to "give back" to the region.
"This region shaped me, shaped who I am, what I do," he said.
"There's so much talent here, and I think what was lacking was the opportunity to nurture that talent."
What courses can people study?
LMA Newcastle currently offers six Bachelor of Arts degrees in Acting, Dance, Events and Festival Management, Music Performance, Music Production, and Musical Theatre.
Applications can be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) or directly with the academy, and can be financed via tuition fee loans like any other undergraduate university course.
The academy hopes to expand its offering further by adding new courses and masters degrees next year, Chambers said.
Students are working on a creative show inspired by this year's Mercury Prize nominees, ahead of the awards being held in Newcastle next month.
What was the first week like?
Music production students are remixing tracks by Knats, the Newcastle-based jazz band nominated for the album A Great Day in Newcastle.
Musical theatre students are performing music from JADE, the other North East nominee.
Meanwhile, the dancers are performing a Raye mash-up, and music performance students will sing an Olivia Dean track.
Students will perform what they have been working on in a showcase at the academy on Wednesday.
"Obviously we've got this gig that we've been thrown at on the first day, but I love a challenge," Lily said.
What does the future hold?
The academy has plans to expand next year and hopes to introduce courses including Digital Film and Television Production, Marketing and Social Media for the Creative Industries, and six masters programmes.
The current students can expect to perform in venues across Newcastle, Chambers said.
In five or 10 years, acting and performance student Alexander Pilkington, who is 20 and living in Newcastle, wants to see himself up on the screen.
"High ambitions you know," he said.
"Maybe even presenting. Movies, series, I'll be up for anything."
Musical theatre student Milo Rimmington-Kane, who is 19 and from Durham, said he was aiming for stage work
"Obviously the industry is very difficult to get into, but fingers crossed," he said.
For Lily, the target is a little further afield - the country music stage show the Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
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