Member Article

‘Jewel of a college’ tipped to become major hub for North East’s creative industries

Now officially opened following a multi million pound investment, Cleveland College of Art and Design’s (CCAD) will play a major role in boosting the region’s creative industries according to one leading academic.

The new building at No 1 Church Street provides 45,000 sq. ft. of teaching and administration space for degree courses such as Fine Art, Production Design for Stage and Screen, Textiles and Surface Design, Contemporary Textile Products, Photographic Practice (with Moving Image) and Film, TV and Theatre Production

Funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the campus facilities include studio space, two seven-metre double-height studios for photography and TV or film work, a refectory area and galley, ensuring students can access the highest level of creative industry education in the north east and across the UK for many years to come.

Professor Madeleine Atkins CBE, Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), was on hand to officially herald the building’s opening and believes the state of the art facility will be as much of a win for North East enterprise as it will for education.

Professor Atkins, who was the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Newcastle and Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Cleveland College of Art and Design is a key player in the regeneration of Hartlepool and these exciting new teaching facilities here at 1 Church Street are further proof of this important role.

“For the past three years CCAD has had the best graduate employability of any specialist art and design provider in the UK at 96.7 percent, the result of the College’s impressive strategic focus on preparing students for creative careers.

“No 1 Church Street is a great campus for its specialist resources and dedicated studio spaces, and CCAD is up there with the very best of the higher education institutions in the country. Here in this building we see even more key evidence of the college anchoring itself within Hartlepool and the Church St facilities are absolutely fantastic.

“We recognise this ‘jewel’ of a college in creating a major hub for the creative industries, and I would like to congratulate everyone at CCAD on the continued success led by the Principal Martin Raby and his senior team.”