The Stage

Rambert school forced to move premises

Published Tuesday 11 May 2004 at 07:25

Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance is being forced to move out of its home of 20 years and reduce its intake after splitting with its parent institution, Brunel University.

Brunel sold the Twickenham site to developer Octagon last year just after breaking ties with the school. Now director Ross McKim is in negotiations with the firm to move into smaller accommodation in a Victorian house and a chapel on the corner of the plot.

Said McKim: “We became independent again last year and, although we have no wish to move, we have to, to be ourselves as independents.

“Our big problem with Brunel was that our school is highly specialised with just 100 students, whereas we were living in a university with some 12,000 students. There were plans to do a degree course last year but they were withdrawn by the university at the last minute - obviously they were in negotiations with the developer at that point.”

McKim, who has been director of the Rambert School for 18 years, added that because it became clear the situation with the institution was not going to improve, a committee was set up within the school to look for a new home.

“What we focused on was that we wanted to keep this edge of London location, where it is safer, there is less distraction from work and it is cheaper,” he said. “The students can live very close to the school and the buzz they get is from learning rather than being down town. We really value what we have here.”

Should the move to the new premises go ahead, McKim said the number of students would decline, although the number of courses on offer would increase through a new partnership with Surrey University. Plans include a degree course as well as a PhD for up to five students in 2005.

The plans are currently with the Richmond council and are awaiting planning permission. “We certainly have the support of the local residents, the council and developer,” said McKim. “However, it is not cut and dried yet.”