£19M investment makes possible a major cultural resource for Cornwall

As a result of investments totalling £19M from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence Programme, the South West Regional Development Agency's Single Pot Fund and the Higher Education Funding Council for England's Strategic Development Fund, University College Falmouth (UCF) is preparing for the official launch of its Performance Centre at the Tremough Campus in Penryn.

"Following UCF's merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008, Cornwall's first degree and postgraduate students of Dance, Music and Theatre now have at their disposal some of the most impressive facilities in Europe to stimulate their learning and inspire their creative careers," said UCF's Rector & Chief Executive, Professor Anne Carlisle. "In this new age of austerity, UCF is very fortunate to have received this funding to expand at a time when other Higher Education institutions are facing massive cuts.  The Government recognises the importance of the creative industries - the fastest growing sector in the UK economy - and with developments such as this and our anticipated Academy for Innovation & Research, we will continue to be the destination of choice for Art, Design, Media and Performance students, whatever the political and economic landscape."

Falmouth's exceptional new facility includes a high-end recording studio complex that is resourced to support radical electro-acoustic and electronic music; dance rehearsal and performance studios with harlequin sprung floors; high-spec theatre and music spaces with sophisticated acoustic architecture; innovative sound and lighting technology; and numerous practice and rehearsal studios.

"UCF is committed to the development of a creative and connected Cornwall, and is exploring numerous ways of supporting and growing business and stimulating employment opportunities in the region," added Professor Carlisle.  "As well as providing outstanding resources for teaching and learning, these stunning facilities are also available for hire at multiple rates, for a wide range of uses from community initiatives to corporate events."

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "This ERDF Convergence investment will significantly boost the capacity of University College Falmouth to offer a full, arts based university level education and is an important step in the creation of Arts University Cornwall.  The new facilities will further enhance UCF's strong and growing reputation as a leader in this field."

Suzanne Bond, Executive Director of the South West RDA, added : "This is exactly the type of investment the South West economy needs.  It is a truly innovative project that will in the long run position Combined Universities in Cornwall at Tremough at the forefront of creative industries, providing the facilities to develop and expand this sector in the future within the region."

The ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence Programme invested £12,266,667 in the development of the Performance Centre which will prepare performance students for success within the creative industries.  The South West Regional Development Agency's Single Pot Fund contributed a further £3M, with the remainder being invested by the Higher Education Funding Council for England's Strategic Development Fund.

A vibrant programme of contemporary public performance is to be staged at the Performance Centre from Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 October for the enjoyment of the wider community under the banner of Platform.  This launch programme will include new work by winner of the 2009 British Composer Award, Graham Fitkin; a performance of Superstition Mountain by innovative film and theatre collective, o-region; a series of metamorphoses by acclaimed US choreographer and dancer, Eleanor Bauer; and the performance of an evocative dance piece created by Cornwall-based choreographer, Angela Praed.

To view the full programme and to book tickets, please visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/platform

or www.hallforcornwall.co.uk 

About University College Falmouth

UCF is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the right to award degrees in its own name. The University College has two campuses - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns and jointly manages with the University of Exeter).

UCF's merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008 created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Dance, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.  The Dartington-based courses have now relocated to the new Performance Centre at the Tremough Campus.

The Performance Centre is the latest phase in UCF's ambition to create a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2013/2014 that will be unrivalled in the South West.

UCF is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One and Convergence), the South West Regional Development Agency and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

Ends

For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby Dip CIPR MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email:  jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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