From Primary to Stage: Monkwearmouth’s £500,000 Performing Arts Revamp Rebuilds Creativity Across Sunderland

Monkwearmouth Academy is putting creativity back on centre stage thanks to a £500,000 transformation of its Performing Arts facilities, half of which was funded by the Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust.

The project isn’t just about one school, it’s about building a pipeline for creative talent across North Sunderland.

The upgrade breathes new life into the school’s ageing Performing Arts block which was originally built in 2001. The upgrade includes a complete overhaul of the main hall, music rooms, drama studios, together with professional-standard equipment designed to give students hands-on experience of the performance and technical arts industries.

Deputy Head, Narinder Sandhu said: “We’re investing half a million pounds into the Performing Arts; that includes music, drama and dance all working together to create a space that young people, their families and our community can be proud of.”

This is more than bricks and mortar. Monkwearmouth is working closely with its feeder primaries to deliver creative opportunities for children as early as Key Stage 1. While all five feeder schools surveyed offer some form of music, not all currently provide drama, and many lack trained staff in either subject. The Academy’s project will offer shared facilities, teacher training, and a joined-up curriculum from primary to secondary.

Mrs Sandhu added: “We lose a lot of children in that transition. They get embarrassed, or they feel like it’s not for them anymore, but if we can give them confidence and continuity, they’ll stick with it and some will go on to make careers from it.”

This investment comes at a critical time. Nationally, Performing Arts entries at A-level dropped by 19% in 2023, while GCSE entries in Music and Drama fell by 12% and 7% respectively. Monkwearmouth reflects this trend as just 12 students are currently taking GCSE Music, and eight have chosen Drama, yet the school believes the arts are more important than ever, especially for students facing barriers. Over 60% of pastoral concerns at the Academy relate to social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH), and 30% of students are eligible for Pupil Premium. Nationally, 1.5 million pupils have special educational needs, with speech, language and communication needs among the fastest-growing areas of need.

The impact of the arts on wellbeing is clear. Research cited in the Academy’s bid highlights that participation in creative subjects can significantly reduce needs linked to mental health, speech and communication issues, learning difficulty and autism. For a community where culture matters, the revival of Performing Arts at Monkwearmouth is more than a school project, it’s a social investment.

The facilities won’t just benefit students, the upgrade will create a hub for local choirs, amateur dramatics groups, dance clubs, and community productions, as well as organisations like Sunderland’s Fire Station and Customs House, and with the Crown Works film studio, set to be one of the largest in Europe, projected to bring 8,450 jobs and £334 million a year to the local economy, the school hopes its students will one day step onto that professional stage.

Mrs Sandhu said: “It’s about giving young people the confidence to be creative, to dream bigger, and to see that there’s a future for them here, in the North East, doing what they love.”

For Monkwearmouth, it’s not just a refurbishment, it’s a revival, one that could change the creative landscape of Sunderland for the next generation.