New Home For English National Ballet

English National Ballet (ENB) has announced it is to move to a new home in East London.

The move will see the organisation share the state-of-the-art building with the English National Ballet School.

The venue, located at London City Island E14, will provide art training facilities, teaching and rehearsal studios, alongside a unique production space, its director Tamara Rojo said.

The new building is being designed by Glenn Howells Architects, and will include a theatre-sized studio space for the development and rehearsal of productions and creation of new commissions; eight large studios for rehearsals and teaching; training facilities including gyms, pilates and a modern rehabilitation centre; while digital infrastructure will allow both organisations to capture and share work and engage with audiences around the UK and the rest of the world. A dedicated music room for the English National Ballet Philharmonic will also be created, while open spaces will provide the public with access to English National Ballet and English National Ballet School's archives, and encourage engagement with local communities.

The centrepiece of the new facility will be a rehearsal and development space, which includes a 'fly tower', needed for dress rehearsals with full sets and orchestra. This requires a 600sq m wide, 23m high space. The rehearsal space has been designed so it can be used for any theatre production, not just dance.

With support from Eco World Ballymore, who will deliver the shell and core of the building, English National Ballet and English National Ballet School will jointly fundraise for the costs of fitting out the facility.

It is anticipated that the companies will move into the new premises in the autumn of 2018.

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet and English National Ballet School, said: "I want to create a new space that allows us to produce and rehearse amazing work. Not only that, I want a building that will be available for other artistic organisations to rehearse too, whether they are staging opera, musicals or theatre. I want the space to echo to the sound of creative Britain."

Caroline Thomson, Executive Director of English National Ballet, added: "This move means we will have a new home with the kind of facilities one would expect from a world-class company, ensuring we can continue to deliver the kind of artistic achievements we have become synonymous with."

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, commented: "The planned relocation of English National Ballet and English National Ballet School to East London is an exciting development for one of the finest dance companies and schools in the world.

"Having bespoke, state-of-the-art facilities will strengthen this internationally renowned company's ability to create new work and to rehearse, as well as allowing its talent development and creative learning plans to flourish. The move will also open up new opportunities for local collaborations and further increase East London's growing status as an important cultural centre."

English National Ballet is currently based at Jay Mews in Kensington and operates out of a 19th Century building originally designed for student housing. English National Ballet School inhabits part of the listed Carlyle building in Fulham where it started with 12 students working across two studios. It now trains upwards of 75 students per year with very little additional space.

(JP)