Creative Arts Building

With work now underway on the brand new, state-of-the-art Creative Arts building, which has been designed to house Leeds Beckett University School of Film, Music, Performing Arts and Fashion, and will become a £90m hub for creative education within the city.

The specialist facility will include a 220-seat Dolby Atmos movie cinema, performance theatre and bespoke studios designed to accommodate and enhance the opportunities for creativity within the fashion, music, film and television departments.

Due to be completed in September 2020, the building is located in the growing ‘Innovation District’ of Leeds at the heart of the city’s civic quarter. Adding to the already thriving Leeds Beckett city hub, the 14,500m² scheme is set to house 1,850 students studying film, music, performing arts and fashion, and currently spread across multiple locations in the city. The creative arts building is earmarked for a site next to the 1933 Grade II-listed Civic Hall and Sheppard Robson’s 2009 Rose Bowl business school.

The expansion comes as part of a £200m investment programme at Leeds Beckett University, which, over the next five years, will see the landscape of the two university campuses transform, in order to dramatically increase the scope of facilities and experience available to students.

“Through the outstanding creative education and training we supply to 1,800 students per year, the innovative research and knowledge exchange we pursue within the industry and through the opportunities we provide for networking, Leeds Beckett University is a major contributor to the success of the cultural and creative industries of Leeds and the “creative conurbation” which is developing in the greater North. Our £80m investment in world leading facilities in film, television, music, fashion, dance, drama and performance, will further enhance our positive social, cultural and economic impact.” Professor Peter Slee, Vice Chancellor of Leeds Beckett University.