School Report - The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts will open a sixth form college in 2015 following government approval for a new raft of free schools in England. The LIPA Sixth Form College will from September 2015 offer 16 to18 year old pupils courses in creative and performing arts that lead to BTEC, A-level and other qualifications. It will be located in the city centre as part of the drama school's main campus and will share the facilities with the higher education institution.
The news follows confirmation of the launch of LIPA's first ever primary school, which will open this September and will also be part of the government's free school initiative, in which schools operate outside of local authority control. This primary education centre will teach national curriculum subjects through methods inspired by the performing arts.
Mark Featherstone-Witty, principal and founder of LIPA and LIPA Sixth Form College, will act as an advisor to the college's headteacher, who is yet to be appointed. He said the sixth form was the "ideal extension to the LIPA family" which began when he founded the BRIT School in south London 21 years ago. "The new LIPA Sixth Form marks the progression of a dream conceived back in the 80s to create a performing arts school focused on the skills needed to achieve lasting careers within arts and entertainment," he said.
Roof Repairs - Investigations into the Apollo Theatre ceiling collapse could take another 18 months to complete, it has been revealed in The Stage. Six months since the incident, which saw part of the venue's ceiling collapse and left 76 people injured, it has emerged that Westminster City Council is conducting a criminal investigation as part of its inquiries into circumstances surrounding the event. The criminal element will focus on whether Nimax Theatres, which operates the venue, has breached the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and whether an offence has been committed. Inquiries into serious incidents in buildings such as theatres can be protracted. For example, probes into the deaths of two backstage staff at G Live in February 2013 remain open.
Westminster City Council reported in March that initial investigations revealed the principal cause was the "deterioration over time of wadding ties which supported the ceiling, thought to be in place since its construction in 1901". But no further information has been passed on to victims, leading to frustration.
Citizens Theatre - Redevelopment plans for Glasgow's Citizens Theatre have taken a major step forward after it was announced the theatre will receive £4.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Glasgow City Council has also added £800,000 to the project, which will cost £16.5 million overall. The Citizens, which opened in 1878, will see its Victorian auditorium renovated and the foyer remodelled to include a cafe and bar. A new building, adjacent to the original theatre, will house workshop spaces, rehearsal rooms, offices and a studio theatre.
Artistic director Dominic Hill said, "The main scope of the plan is to reveal the original Victorian building, which is currently behind lots
