The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

LIPA offers degree courses in Acting, Community Drama, Dance, Music Theatre and Entertainment Management, Music, Sound Technology, Theatre and Performance Design and Theatre and Performance Technology.

The college also runs full-time one year Foundation Certificates in Performing Arts (Acting), Performing Arts (Dance), Performing Arts (Singing) and Popular Music and Sound Technology.

The LIPA occupies a majestic, Grade II-listed, 19th-Century building, which has been restored and transformed into a well equipped performing arts institute. Some of the facilities include:

Performance Spaces there are two main performance spaces used for productions and teaching.

The Paul McCartney Auditorium (PMA) is a traditional proscenium arch theatre with full counterweight flying facilities. The PMA is the largest performance space and can seat over 400 people.

The Sennheiser Studio Theatre can hold an audience of up to 96 people. Each year, over 150 performances take place between these spaces, about half of these are to a public audience. Both theatre spaces are fully equipped and have a large floating stock of additional lighting, sound and video equipment available for external projects.

Dance Studios the dance studios are based in the Hope Street facility. All have specialist sprung floors and mirrors. There is also a Pilates studio equipped with Pilates machines.

Rehearsal Rooms There are a number of spacious rehearsal rooms, which are predominantly used for workshop-style teaching and as rehearsal spaces in the lead up to performances. Some have their own sound and lighting facilities.

Music practice rooms There are five large band rehearsal rooms, eight small band rooms, seven rooms set up with piano/keyboards and two digital audio workrooms. A variety of professional music equipment can be borrowed including vocal PA, drum kits, bass and guitar amps and over 30 musical instruments.

Stagecraft workshop A large theatre workshop, equipped with metalwork and woodworking machinery, is located behind the Paul McCartney Auditorium. It is used to construct and paint the scenery and props used in productions, as well as being a practical teaching area for the Theatre and Performance Design and Technology programmes.

Recording Studios There are six professionally equipped recording studios. All of them support music tracking and mixing to a high standard, and some have additional facilities for sound to picture production, surround mixing, mastering and editing.