It has been announced that Havant & South Downs College (HSDC) has secured over a quarter of a million pounds of investment as part of the Solent Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF).
HSDC South Downs, which is home to a large range of exceptional Vocational and Technical courses, will use the government funding to maintain its leading role in developing skills for students to become the next generation of industry professionals.
Staff and students are celebrating the recent news, specifically for its production arts provision where students will have the latest equipment for sound, lighting, and other essential practical skills to work in the region’s thriving music and performance industries.
As a result of the funding, HSDC will be upgrading its excellent current theatre setup to the next generation of LED lighting and multi-channel sound system to create a fully immersive production and performance space. These new systems will be delivered from a new dedicated technical booth to recreate the professional industry environment and allow the students to build and develop the skills needed in this fast-moving industry.
The college will also be redeveloping its creative spaces to allow students to learn more around set design and construction and technical theatre practices. These improvements will help the students gain the skills in the Production Arts to support the thriving creative industries sector in the region where technical arts skills are a real need. The college is also working with partners from The Kings Theatre, The Guildhall Studios, and The Wedgewood Rooms on this exciting project.
HSDC is the lead college for one of four government-funded skills projects for the Solent region working in partnership with Brockenhurst College, Itchen College, Lighthouse Learning Trust, Isle of Wight College, City of Portsmouth College and Barton Peveril Sixth Form College.
Principal Mike Gaston said: “We are so pleased that our leading role in developing future talent for the vibrant creative sector in our region has been recognised via our leadership of the project and this significant investment which will ensure our staff and students enjoy the very best equipment and facilities.”
