ICMP to open new £2.5 million creative hub site in nearby Queen's Park

Here at ICMP, we’re delighted to be able to share some very exciting news with you – our plans to launch a brand-new music creative hub in Queen’s Park, just a short ten-minute walk from our current Kilburn campus!

The new project will see us redevelop the site of the permanently closed Corrib Rest pub in Queen’s Park as part of a new four-year £2.5 million local community development project.

Situated at 76–78 Salusbury Road, only a five-minute walk from the Queen’s Park Underground and Overground station, the Corrib Rest pub has been closed since February 2015. Our plan is to transform the building into a second site for ICMP, expanding our existing 20,000 sq ft footprint by an additional 14,000 sq ft.

A range of degrees, such as the BA Music for Film, TV and Games, BA Audio Engineering and MA Creative Music Production, will be taught at the new Queen's Park site, as well as some short courses. We’re hoping that the new campus will attract around 400 new students, employ over 30 full-time and part-time staff members, and add an estimated £4 million annually to the local economy.

The redevelopment project will take place across several phases – with the first phase consisting of a high-end recording studio, state-of-the-art post-production facilities (including foley room), and mixing and mastering studio to be completed by this September.

Phase two of the project will be completed in 2022, consisting of a flexible events venue with performance space/small club, complete with a fully fitted PA system, lighting rig and pop-up cinema, plus a student café.

The final phase in 2022/23 will see the launch of further tech suites, classrooms, tracking suites and small collaboration spaces, as well as professional services.

ICMP’s Chief Executive, Paul Kirkham, believes the new college site will breathe new life into the North West London creative community in what has been a difficult year for the live music industry, commenting:

“The development of the new site and the cutting-edge facilities will allow ICMP to continue to play a leading role in producing the next generation of creative graduates.”

Paul further states that the expansion of the existing ICMP campus facilities is a reflection of our continued growth and success: “We’re a well-respected, fully regulated and accredited provider of quality higher education, with over 1,000 students from all over the world already engaged on our courses. This expansion means we’re well on track to becoming a fully-fledged university within the next few years, which is an extremely exciting journey. We’re extremely proud of our commitment to the redevelopment of this new facility and further engagement with our fantastic local community.”

Our overall aim for the project is to establish a vibrant creative music and arts hub which can be used by both ICMP students and staff members, and the wider Queen’s Park community. As the Corrib Rest building has been deemed an ‘Asset of Community Value’ (ACV) by Brent Council, our planning permission submission outlined our vision to operate the venue as a community space, with local groups, charities and schools able to access some of the facilities on a regular basis.

We can’t wait for our new Queen’s Park music school to become a reality, and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest news as the project progresses.

If you'd like to join us in September to take advantage of these brand new facilities yourself, simply head to our Enquiry Form to start your application today!