Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International have signed an agreement with Alpha Plus Group to open a new 60,000 square ft. performing arts educational space at Olympia, as part of the £1.3 billion regeneration of the West London cultural and entertainment district.
The Alpha Plus Group will enter a long-term lease to open Wetherby Arts School in 2025, a co-educational senior school for children aged 11-18.
Like other Alpha Plus schools, Wetherby Arts will offer the Gold Standard in education, with added emphasis on the performing arts. The new school will be located in the space across 10 Beaconsfield Terrace and Emberton House and will feature high tech facilities, including classrooms enabled for hybrid teaching and learning, which will allow students to attend lessons on site or remotely at the same time. Students will have the use of a bespoke 9,000 sq ft theatre with a capacity of 200 seats.
Underlining Olympia’s commitment to the local community, the agreement includes various educational, creative and cultural opportunities for residents both young and old. Alpha Plus Group is partnering with the BRIT School to make its teaching and performance spaces available for the running of BRIT Kids community classes every Saturday. Alpha Plus will also provide funding for some children to attend the BRIT Kids classes free of charge.
Alpha Plus will also work with the BRIT school to introduce its unique Community Arts Practice qualification into their curriculum. Students train in areas such as theatre in education, teaching, facilitation, movement, singing and acting and learn how to use the arts to explore a range of social topics; the course is practical, and students will work extensively with the local community as part of their studies.
Furthermore, the school will offer creative arts masterclasses to local schools and community groups by sharing facilities. It will also host an annual community arts festival. Meanwhile, Alpha Plus has committed to financing 12 bursaries and 22 scholarships for any interested student, regardless of their means, 50% of which will be reserved for pupils from Hammersmith and Fulham.
The £1.3bn redevelopment of Olympia – which will be completed in 2025 – includes a 4,400 capacity live music venue managed by AEG Presents; a 1,575-seat performing arts theatre for Trafalgar Entertainment; 100,000 sq ft of restaurants, bars and eateries; two globally renowned hotels – a Hyatt Regency and citizenM; 550,000 sq ft of offices and 2.5 acres of new public realm.
