LMA to invest £15m in Metquarter campus
Liverpool media, music and performing arts institution LMA, which is co-owned by singer Robbie Williams, has revealed plans to take 50,000 sq ft in the Metquarter for studios and teaching space.
LMA said it plans to invest more than £15m in the new 130,000 sq ft site, driven by what the organisation described as “a surge” in applications from prospective students.
Based across two campuses in Liverpool at Hope Street and Duke Street, LMA offers post-age 16 BTEC qualifications and post-age 18 degree courses, in music, musical theatre, dance, acting, film and TV production, and games art and animation.
The third campus would include film studios, dance studios, music rehearsal rooms, classrooms and recording studios. The scheme is due to open this September.
The campus is part of LMA’s wider expansion plans, which also includes a site due to open in London later this year. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park studio will be LMA’s first outside of Liverpool.
Brothers and co-founders Richard and Simon Wallace set up LMA in 2008. Former Take That singer Robbie Williams became a co-owner of the business in 2019.
Richard Wallace said: “We’ve been working for some time to find the perfect location in the city centre that would house our world class facilities for students and staff, and Metquarter is absolutely ideal for us.
“Not only is it right in the heart of the city centre, but the building itself gives us a lot of freedom to create an extremely unique learning space where our students can study and hone their craft.
“There is a lot of potential for what we can do at the site to help inspire students and give them opportunities to explore their passion and creativity, whether that’s on stage or screen, behind the camera, in the recording studio or creating the next big gaming sensation.”
The refurbishment of the Metquarter on Whitehall has been led by asset manager Queensberry and owner Bywater Properties over the past two years, and has welcomed occupiers including Everyman Cinema, Cricket, and Kids Cavern.
There are plans for a food and drink market to take space in the mixed-use centre.
Your Comments
Amazing. They’re good kids
Excellent and innovative idea. Good luck with the project.
‘Let meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e entertain you!’
Great choice
Blue sky thinking… this is brilliant! Just what’s needed this end of town… oh, it’s Whitechapel not Whitehall :-)
Fantastic news, this will bring so much vitality and life to the MQ, just what it needed and 100 jobs also.
Really good re-purposing of a lovely and under-utilised building
This is brilliant. If it comes off it will be the welcome boost the MQ has been needing
So nearly half of the MQ will now not be shops? It has been noticeable how the boutiques have also been disappearing from cavern walks. I can only assume the remainder of the stores in the centre will change in time, due to changing demographics.
While I’m pleased the MQ has a paying tenant, it would have been much better for the city if the city council had got a grip and nurtured the higher end retail environment.
Cavern Walks and the area around the Metquarter were in desperate need of public realm intervention in order to attract higher levels of the demographic the shops targeted. It’s not like the council are shy of blowing millions of Pounds on paving flags.
Another opportunity gone. Thank God the Lib Dems put Liverpool One in the private sphere, before the public were duped into voting them out.
This a great news for the Met Quarter, and great imagination by LMA. Hopefully a real boost for this end of the city centre that has fallen stagnant.
It is becoming more and more Liverpool centric by the day. What about the rest of us?
LMA would have been fantastic at littlewoods
Work to start later this year on Film Studios on Edge Lane it’s will be recognized as the Hollywood of the North
Just had confirmation the filming of Batman will be returning in Liverpool
This an exciting district, not stagnant at all! Just needs pulling together with a brand that sums up all its elements… Cavern… Beatles… Pool of Liverpool… Historic Downtown… Victoria (St.)… name it after me!