East Durham College is delighted to announce it is set to receive a whopping £1.9m to develop several of its facilities to support the delivery of exciting new T Level training from 2024.
This latest wave of capital funding investment, announced by the Department for Education on Friday, will be focused on the college’s provision in agriculture, environmental and animal care, creative and design. This comes on the back of £3.2m of T Level capital investment the college has already received to develop its digital, care, hair and beauty, engineering, motor vehicle and catering training facilities and resources.
Suzanne Duncan, Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Really exciting times lie ahead for our creative industries department and Houghall campus, in Durham, thanks to this significant T Level investment.
“Our creative department will be transforming its facilities, with a fantastic refurbishment of the theatre and TV, radio and recording studios which includes an extensive upgrading of digital infrastructure.
“The Houghall campus will be getting a refurbishment of the arboriculture and agricultural engineering workshops, as well as the creation of a new estates skills workshop, which alongside the planned new £20m teaching and learning facilities, due to open in September 2026, will see Houghall become a jewel in the crown for land-based training and education in the north of England.”
The creative department, based at the Peterlee campus, is set to undergo a revitalisation, featuring state-of-the-art equipment, acoustics, and design. The theatre will be transformed into a captivating venue, perfect for showcasing the finest performances and productions. Simultaneously, the TV production and recording studios will be revamped to meet the highest industry standards, providing an ideal training environment for students wishing to work in video, audio and music production.
The departments’ digital infrastructure will receive a substantial boost through the implementation of a Dante sound system, with improvements to network capabilities, increased bandwidth, and enhanced connectivity. These upgrades will improve digital productions and streaming of creative content communication.
Amanda Gregory, Programme Area Leader for Creative Industries at EDC added: “With this investment, our creative industries department is poised to redefine excellence and innovation in this field of training.
“Students and professionals alike will have access to cutting-edge facilities, fostering creativity and enabling groundbreaking work.
“The refurbished theatre and TV production and recording studios will be at the forefront of artistic and technological advancement in the region. So, our students can get ready for a new era of brilliance in the creative arts at EDC.”
