Central School Of Ballet Unveils Move to Bespoke New Premises in South Bank and Announces £6m Finance Campaign

Central School of Ballet, the world-leading professional dance training organisation and part of the renowned Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, today announces a campaign to raise the final £6m to fund their bespoke new premises in Paris Gardens in London's flourishing arts community on the South Bank in Southwark.

With £3m raised towards the cost of the project to date, the new building is planned for completion in the academic year 2018/2019. The aim is to become a hub for a dynamic dance community combining excellence in dance training for those aiming for a professional career with general dance classes and London outreach projects.

Central currently runs a thriving community at its premises in Clerkenwell. Over 1200 people use Central's facilities each week; from students training for a professional career in dance to children taking their first steps in ballet and adults using dance to improve fitness and wellbeing. The new premises in the South Bank will over the next five years allow the school to offer dance classes to thousands more in the Southwark area and give the local community opportunity to see and take part in to dance performances, many of whom have never had access to dance before.

HRH Countess of Wessex, Patron of Central School of Ballet said: "This is a momentous time in Central's history. Their planned move to Paris Gardens will allow a greater engagement with young people who don't currently get access to dance classes, building on their activities with junior schools in Southwark. This organisation was founded on the principle that talented young dancers should get the opportunity to pursue dance as a career independent of financial circumstances or background. The new premises will allow the school to work with local communities to ensure this founding principle is followed."

Interest in dance is booming at all levels. Audition numbers for the professional three year BA (Hons) degree course in Professional Dance and Performance offered at Central are up by 80% this year, adult classes are full with waiting lists and the pre-professional courses for 11-16 year olds offered in Clerkenwell are growing every year. Central has outgrown its building and so is moving to new premises specially designed for dance and performance needs.

Central will occupy 3,000 sq. m of the Paris Gardens building which also includes accommodation, already in use, for the broader student community in this part of London. This is nearly three times the size of the space available in Central's current home. £6m is needed to fund the specific fit-out at Paris Gardens including a state-of-the-art health suite providing psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy, Pilates and recovery from injury programme. The building will include amenities to rival dance training facilities anywhere in the UK; seven studios, a fully-equipped Studio Theatre, study and resource centres.

Hall as Director and Christopher Marney as Artistic Director head Central's new leadership team, the driving force behind this project. Both Heidi and Christopher are alumni of Central and both have enjoyed long professional dance careers. Heidi explains: "Becoming a professional dancer takes talent, but also enormous determination and continuous effort. In Paris Gardens we will be able to provide world-class facilities to match our students' ambition. We will have space to grow, to nurture creativity at all levels, to inspire partnerships and to encourage the local community to experience our passion for dance."

Heidi continues: "The response to our plans has been enthusiastic and many major donations are already in place or pledged. We are now accelerating our fundraising activities to finance the final stage of the development."

Cllr Johnson Situ, cabinet member for business, employment, culture and social regeneration, Southwark Council said: "We are thrilled that the Central School of Ballet is planning to be part of Southwark's growing reputation as a cultural destination. It is one of our key commitments that local people are able to benefit from the regeneration happening across the borough, and as well as offering local people access to world class entertainment as the ninth new theatre to open in the borough by 2018, the school is already running a satellite ballet school at the Alfred Salter school which has been established since 2011 in anticipation of their move."