FEATURE:
Northern Sky
IN THIS PHOTO: Leona Lewis is one of the many high-profile artists who attended and graduated from the BRIT School/PHOTO CREDIT: Catie Laffoon
Why the Opening of a New BRIT School Will Shift Focus Away from London and the South
_________
I still think that a lot of opportunities….
IN THIS PHOTO: Adele/PHOTO CREDIT: Samir Hussein/Getty Images
are lacking for music artists based in the Midlands and the North of England. Considering the institutions and venues we have in the South and areas like London, there is a relative privation further North. One of our most illustrious and famed music institute is the BRIT School. Based in Croydon, some of its most successful alumni includes Adele and Amy Winehouse. One reason why they could study there – apart from their talent and potential – is their approximation to Croydon. It is harder for those based further north to get there and realistically be able to afford to stay nearby. I think we are still seeing a disparity regarding the attention London-based artists get compared to those in other parts of the U.K. I am going to come to a welcomed piece of news that will see a BRIT School based in Bradford, Yorkshire. Before I come to that, here is some information about the aim and ethos of the BRIT School:
“We believe in creativity and that young people of all backgrounds should be able to develop their creative talent and craft and make a powerful contribution to society."
Creativity is crucial to the future of our economy and society. For nearly thirty years, The BRIT School has successfully nurtured creative skills in students from every type of background alongside a robust and full academic curriculum. And it does so for free.
If you chose to come here, you will be given the tools to carve out your career, the space to think and the environment to be you. This is a playground with professional boundaries where the raw talent of 14 – 19 year old meets the nurturing expertise of world-class teachers.
The BRIT School revolutionises the lives of its students; just under 100% of all students who have graduated find work in a huge range of creative industries, or enrol for higher education. We are proud to be a Croydon school and equally proud to have national and international friends who support the school with professional and unique opportunities. As the Good School Guide states, “You’ll find BRIT graduates’ words, music, performance, directorial and backstage talents just about everywhere you look, from fashion shows to musicals, national theatre to community arts, in the UK and internationally.” This is a hardworking, fun, passionate school packed with dedicated individuals who love the creative and performing arts and recognise the importance of a thorough and robust education in all subjects. We believe in developing well rounded, articulate, kind and dynamic young people.
Stuart Worden
Principal”.
In spite of it being an all-inclusive institution, there is still that relative lack of opportunity for budding artists and creatives outside of the South. The fact that there is a new BRIT School up in Bradford means easy accessibility for those further north. There are a range of courses on offer, from Music & Music Technology to Film & Media Production. This article from The Guardian explains more about a much-needed expansion:
“It has launched stars from Adele to Amy Winehouse, Jessie J to Tom Holland. Indeed, alumni from the Brit school for performance and creative arts in Croydon, south London, are said to have collectively sold more than 250m albums and won 15 Brit awards.
Now more budding singers, actors and performance artists will get the opportunity to develop and hone their talents, with plans approved to open a northern version of the school.
The Department for Education has given the green light for a Brit School North in Bradford, West Yorkshire, inspired by the Croydon model which opened in 1991 and is free to attend.
The BPI – the representative voice for record labels across the UK – plans to open the specialist creative college in around 2026-27 to allow students aged 16-19 to study performance, production and digital subjects.
The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, said she is looking for “the next Adele or Amy Winehouse”.
“We’ve seen the success of the Brit school in Croydon, producing national superstars. I think it is really exciting that we’ve got another opportunity, up north, to do exactly the same,” she told the Mail on Sunday.
The school will offer 500 places and will be free to attend with a curriculum focusing on subjects including dance, music, theatre and production arts.
The Bradford-born singer Zayn Malik, a former member of One Direction, was among those who expressed support for the school.
The education secretary, Gillian Keegan, said: “The north is full of creative talent,” adding that the school would mean “more young people will be able to reach their potential”.
The BPI’s chief executive, Jo Twist, said the approval of the plan was “a positive signal that government recognises the critical importance of creative and specialist creative arts education”.
She added: “The UK is a world leader in music and across the creative industries and if we want this to continue, we must invest in talent and the highly transferable skills needed for a competitive economy.”
The BPI chair, YolanDa Brown, said the school would improve access to creative education and reduce the need for young people to move to London and the south-east.
For the bid there was collaboration between the BPI, the record companies Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK, the Brit school, East London Arts & Music (ELAM) and the Day One Trust that runs ELAM and the London Screen Academy (LSA).
The three record company partners have committed to contribute an initial amount of additional funding towards the school, which is expected to be used to fund the purchase of equipment.
The mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “This is a fantastic win for the north and supports our ambition to ensure opportunities for all, no matter where you’re from or where you live.
“The buildup to Bradford UK city of culture 2025 has already started 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 homegrown artists, from the likes of Mel B and Corinne Bailey Rae to the Kaiser Chiefs.”
The leader of Bradford council, Susan Hinchcliffe, said the school was “brilliant news for the Bradford district”.
“There is a huge creative and cultural buzz around Bradford right now. We are preparing to be the UK’s city of culture in 2025 and will soon celebrate the opening of Bradford Live, a new 4,000-capacity live music venue in the old Odeon cinema,” she said”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Black Midi are BRIT School graduates/PHOTO CREDIT: Neale Haynes for The Times
This is some much-needed good news. I think some of the most interesting and important music at the moment is coming from outside of London. By having a BRIT School in Bradford, it does provide easier commute and locality for aspiring artists near there. In a wider sense, it will help spotlight music in the North. It is clear that there is still a lot of media focus on the capital compared to other parts of the country – thought this is starting to change. It is a boon for the music industry around Bradford too, and it will draw eyes to an area that has always been fertile regarding innovative talent. Alongside all the other events and honours around Bradford, this is sort of a cherry on top of the cake. Some of our greatest artists of the past generation or two have come from thew BRIT School. By widening their bases and welcoming a whole crop of potential artists, it is a really positive sign for the industry. I do feel that there is a divide between North and South regarding spotlighting artists and them being represented at festivals and at award ceremonies. The more we shift away from other locations and centre on London, the broader and richer the industry becomes. Some may say we have parity in that sense already - though I think we have a way to go. There will be many talented artists who have been thinking of enrolling in the BRIT School, but they feel like there are few spaces and chances for them because they live far away. Greater accessibility and spaces will not only benefit them. It is a huge plus for the industry. Shaping artists now that could be as big as the likes of Adele, Leona Lewis, and RAYE. This welcomed news will lead to such an exciting future. By focusing on Bradford and music in the North, it is something that has been…
A long time coming.