Two Colleges To Open In Birmingham This Year

Demand Is High For Graduates in the Creative Industries – Birmingham is Ready With Two New HE Colleges

BIMM Chooses Birmingham For Education Expansion

 The BIMM group is opening two new colleges in Birmingham this year to meet the spectacular demand for industry-ready graduates in the creative sector. Screen and Film School Birmingham and Performers College Birmingham will offer BA (Hons) level courses from its new campus in Digbeth this September. 

The Department for Culture Media and Sports estimates that the creative industries were the fastest growing sector of the past decade. By 2019, they contributed £115.9bn gross value added to the UK economy, second only to the digital industry and more than the Aerospace, Automotive and Life Sciences sectors combined. And, while the arts have been impacted like many other sectors during the pandemic, there is no doubt that this sector will emerge from lockdown more robust. 

BIMM Group – Europe’s largest contemporary arts education provider – understands the significant demand for highly skilled and motivated graduates in these sectors. Its unique approach is designed to open doors to the creative industries, lifting the lid on what it takes to build a successful career and equipping students with the skills they need to be industry-ready as soon they leave Higher Education. BIMM graduates have been helping to shape the creative industries for over 35 years.

Why Birmingham? Well, the city is one of the country’s most exciting, emerging hotspots for the creative industries. The film and TV industry is already forging links with Hollywood and Netflix alongside homegrown companies such as ITV and the BBC. 

A planned film studio expansion – led by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight – will be located a short distance from BIMM’s two new colleges. They will sit alongside the established BIMM Birmingham, which opened in September 2017 and is already an enormous success. 

Rated as a top 10 UK Film School, Screen and Film School has spent the last 15 years turning passionate filmmakers into industry professionals. Screen and Film School’s bespoke combination of practical courses, high-tech facilities, industry placements, Masterclasses, live project briefs and site visits provide students with an understanding of how to operate and flourish in the Film industry.

Performers College Birmingham is the 2nd location for Performers College which is based in Essex. The performing arts college has over 30 years’ experience training ‘triple threat’ students who are talented actors, dancers and musical theatre professionals providing the West End, film and TV industry with many of the UK’s most versatile performers.

Each of the colleges will have its specialist sector training and a unique identity, but students will be encouraged to work collaboratively across all three sectors – Film, Music, Performance. All three BIMM colleges are building outreach initiatives with local schools and FE colleges and have formed relationships with industry organisations such as Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Film Festival, Optomen, North One, ACE Dance and Music, and Nicholson Studios. 

CEO and Head of Institution for the BIMM Group, Adam Carswell said:

“I am exceptionally proud of the success we have seen in our music colleges in our UK and European cities. With nearly four decades of experience, we’re recognised as being at the forefront of UK music education and we are excited to bring our unique approach to both the performing arts and filmmaking sectors.

Finding a path to building a successful career in the creative industries can feel daunting to many young people, which is why we work in partnership with the industries we serve to ensure our students have everything they need to hit the ground running when they graduate. 

While the recent pandemic has brought many challenges, it has also demonstrated the agility and resilience of the creative industries. With the ever growing opportunities in the sector, there’s never been a better time to be a student or practitioner in today’s diverse, creative and world-leading industry.”

Executive Principal Performers College Vaseema Hamilton said: 

“Young people can often perceive the performing arts as a mysterious and hard to access profession. At Performers College we are here to demystify the process and provide a clear map of the industry to our training professionals, mentoring them every step of the way with their personal development. We are committed to inspiring young students from all backgrounds and diverse communities, and our inclusive ethos and sense of community is reflected throughout our welcoming and supportive college environment. Alongside our intensive practical and technical skills training, we ensure our vocational curriculum includes a wide variety of specialist masterclasses and employability studies. Our graduates are then very well prepared to meet the demands of the industry and enjoy an exciting and fulfilling career.”

Executive Principal of Screen & Film School, Dara Kilkenny said: 

“BIMM students are bestowed with many advantages. As with all BIMM colleges, students are taught by industry professionals, and many well-known faces lead regular masterclasses offering specialist insight into the industry’s wide-ranging opportunities. These 2 new colleges will be a hothouse of talent and opportunities, strengthening the supply of an industry-ready workforce.”

Performers College Birmingham’s Principal Adam Davenport, who grew up in Wolverhampton and trained as an actor, singer, vocal coach and director in London said: 

“I am really proud to be heading up Performers College Birmingham bringing first-class musical theatre training to the heart of the Midlands. Birmingham is the perfect second location as performing arts have long been a strong sector in the Midlands scene, hosting some of the country’s biggest regional theatres and venues. With our strong industry links coupled with Performers College’s outstanding reputation for producing multi-skilled graduates for over 30 years, I’m confident we will be a huge addition to the Midlands performing arts scene. For those who prefer the idea of training vocationally, but may be concerned about living costs in London, we hope this widens the opportunity for local performers, who may now be able to train professionally whilst living at home.” 

Screen and Film School Birmingham’s Principal Hannah Stevenson said: 

“I feel extremely privileged to be able to shape and influence the next generation of filmmakers in the region. Our courses are 70% practical, and the industry focus means our students can hit the ground running as they begin their careers. Alongside BIMM and Performer’s College – I’m hoping students find their creative families, the peers they shall inevitably grow with, create with, and possibly set up companies with in the city.”