Our refurbished Warwick Arts Centre will make a major difference to the local community and our students.

We have been allocated £2 million from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), who have been a long-time supporter of our University, towards the £33.3 million project.

It will be a great way to watch the latest movie releases since the existing gallery and cinema will be replaced with three high-quality digital auditoria with 250, 180 and 60 seats.

There will also be a new restaurant to eat tasty dishes, foyers will be extended and there will be the addition of a large ground floor exhibition space/gallery.

The centre will also develop digital exhibitions and install facilities to broadcast major live cultural and sporting events which is perfect timing since the work is due to be finished for when Coventry is UK City of Culture in 2021.

Our imaginative students and the community will also benefit from a new creative learning space and a hub for digital research and design, contemporary visual arts, cultural tourism and business training, and networking and conference suites.

Students are already enrolled at the second major infrastructure project the CWLEP has helped to fund at our University.

The WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre took its first intake of students last September to equip young engineers with the high-level skills businesses need in the future.

The Local Growth Fund provided £10 million funding towards the complex which provides apprentices with the opportunity to study on degree programmes to develop the skills needed by advanced engineering and manufacturing companies – which is an expertise our area is renowned for throughout the world.

The centre is already running training programmes up to Master’s Degree level initially for 1,000 students, who will complete their studies at our campus in conjunction with their employment at companies throughout Coventry and Warwickshire.

Marion Plant OBE, board director at the CWLEP and principal and CEO of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, said: “The Local Growth Fund was established by the Government to give LEPs the opportunity to fund projects which boost the economy, support businesses and create jobs and the two schemes at the University of Warwick are a perfect example of that.”

Artist's impression of the refurbished Warwick Arts Centre.

The completed WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre.