BERKSHIRE CREATIVE ARTS ACADEMY

I was invited to carry out the official opening of the Berkshire Creative Arts Academy (BEECA) in Bartholomew Street at 11.30a.m. on Thursday 20 December 2007. So accompanied by my attendant, Carol Currie, I walked down from the Town Hall to their premises which is located above the Citizens Advice Bureau. We arrived at the entrance to be greeted by Donna Lewis, the Principal and her associates, who welcomed me to the Academy. After the official ribbon cutting and photographs, we were then invited to a tour of the premises. From the outside one has no conception of the size of the Academy, as you have to ascend a flight of stairs to get to the working areas. It is a Listed building and was part of the old Sugar Loaf Inn. Although some modernisation has taken place, there the have been some constraints on the internal refurbishment of the accommodation. For example, the sash windows have been retained. The Academy occupies the first and second floors of the buildings and the rooms are large enough to be studios and lecture rooms. There is a library as well as a photographic studio with a dark room up towards the roof, accessed by steep stairs. There are areas with computer terminals which have many uses including graphic design.
All the staff were very enthusiastic about the Academy’s future and we met a number of potential students, one of whom was an artist and was about to sign up for a course. I was pleased for them and wished them every success for the future.