A ballet school is hoping to raise £6million in a final push to fund its new home near Bankside.
Central School of Ballet announced a campaign on Tuesday, March 21, to raise the final funds needed for its new Paris Gardens premises.
With £3million already raised towards the cost of the project, the new building is planned to be finished in the academic year 2018/2019.
At nearly three times the size of the space available in Central’s current home, the £6million is needed to fund a state-of-the-art health suite providing psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy, Pilates and a recovery from injury programme at the new premises.
The building will also include seven studios, a fully-equipped studio theatre, study and resource centres.
The Countess of Wessex, patron of Central School of Ballet, said: “This is a momentous time in Central’s history. Their planned move to Paris Gardens will allow a greater engagement with young people who don’t currently get access to dance classes, building on their activities with junior schools in Southwark.”
Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, added: “The school is 35 years young and already makes a fantastic contribution to dancers’ lives – producing some of the best young dancers in the country.
“They will also be contributing massively to my local community; offering facilities to local residents interested in after-work dance classes for example. I look forward to working closely together and am proud to have the school choose Southwark as their new home.”