DRAMATIC changes pencilled in for an artistically gifted college are set to further enhance its performance on the regional stage.

A £1.5million state-of-the-art facility for art and design is planned for Mid-Cheshire College's Hartford campus, as the college starts to expand its performing arts department.

The new building, which will contain exhibition space and specialised studio area for all aspects of art and design, will mean the closure of the historic London Road studios, but, as the Northwich landmark is a grade II listed building, it will not disappear from the town.

Simon Andrews, divisional manager for art, design and community studies at the college, said: "The London Road building is antiquated and, as a listed building, there is a limit to what we can do to bring it into the 21st century.

"We've spent £500,000 this summer improving the college's disabled access, but we can't do this at London Road, and it is a college tradition to offer the opportunity to study art and design to all students.

"The London Road studios are out on a limb now - we want to bring everybody up here to the Hartford campus where there will be more space for students and parking, which there is not at London Road.

"I want to make sure that students get the best facilities with this new building and significant investment in new equipment."

Work on the new building, which will contain studios for ceramics, textiles, glass, wood and metal working as well as rooms for graphic design and multi media, will start at the beginning of 2005, and is scheduled to be finished within 12 months.

The project will be financed by college funds, and the college is also seeking assistance from the Learning and Skills Council and other organisations.

Simon said: "We've just enrolled 100 more students than ever in art and design so, with the new building, there will be more space for them and top quality resources.

"I can't wait - it will provide major opportunities for the local population."

The space left when the art and design department moves into the new building will be filled by the performing arts department, which is expanding after the success of music at the college with the first drama qualification launched last September and a dance course to be introduced in 2005.

Simon said: "During the past six years our music department has flourished, with many of our students going on to develop careers within the music industry or continuing their studies at university.

"This success culminated in the department being graded as 'outstanding' in the 2004 Ofsted report, so it seemed that the time was right to expand the courses we offer to include the other performing arts and to update further our already state-of-the-art facilities."

In October last year, Mid-Cheshire College was awarded the status of Centre of Vocational Excellence (COVE) in creative arts and new media, recognising that it is a leading provider of education in arts.

This followed its achievement of the top grades in a Further Education Funding Council inspection in 1999 and in the April 2003 Ofsted inspection.

Simon said: "The college is a jewel in the local crown, though not always perceived as one.

"It is a superb centre of vocational training with some exceptional resources and we have outstanding success rates in achievement and retention.

"This is because we have first class teachers, excellent support and first class industrial standard equipment."

Simon explained that the college prides itself on the training it gives to students.

He said: "We provide practical skills - things like how to use a digital camera, how to download images, how to write scripts.

"Our students are infinitely employable by industry because they have the skills, and new universities are also demanding that students have skills."

The college will be holding an open day on Thursday, November 11, for people to find out more about the courses on offer and the new drama students are busy working of their Christmas production, Patches and Plastic, to be performed on December 7, 8 and 9.

gbebbington@guardiangrp.co.uk