Music college WaterBear has announced the launch of a new campus in Sheffield to open in September 2023.
The Brighton-based college for specialist music education teaches artists seeking to build long-term sustainable careers in the music industry. The new campus will offer BA (Hons) and MA courses.
“WaterBear has been on an incredible journey to date with four successful years providing first-class music education, enabling students to achieve a solid foundation for a sustainable career in the music industry,” said Chairman Terry Sweeney.
“We are now immensely looking forward to the next stage of our evolution in growing the WaterBear brand.”
Co-founder of the college Adam Bushell said he felt strongly that music education “wasn’t keeping up” with the “huge changes” in the music industry over the last 20 years.
“We got together and thought we have to do another music college, and we have to make it about how things have changed, more about the independent, self-reliant, self-motivated DIY artist,” he said.
Follow co-founder Bruce John Dickinsonfrom Scarborough said “it feels like music education is coming home”.
“There’s a vibe in the city that you notice immediately when you come into the town, it feels like everything is coming together, it feels like a culture of relations - that’s already happening and we want to be a part of it.”
The launch event for the new campus featured performances from local Sheffield bands, as well as alumni of WaterBear’s Brighton campus.