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A tuition service based in the Channel Islands hopes to harness Liverpool’s “renowned musical talent” as it launches plans for a first site on the UK mainland.
Founded in 2013, the School of Popular Music (SOPM) offers learners the opportunity to learn and play instruments of their choice at a location in Guernsey.
The business launched in Jersey in 2021 as the team expanded. It is now looking to take its next step across the English Channel by opening a location at the Matchworks estate in Speke.
A planning application has been lodged with the city council to change a currently vacant unit into an educational facility. Project developers hope the scheme would bring about new jobs in a sector with which Liverpool has a rich history.
The school, which employs 14 staff in Guernsey, is seeking to formally take on the unit at the site next to yoga studios, the Climbing Hangar gym and offices.
In the supporting statement attached to planning documents, Charlie Stevens, project manager said it is the school’s belief the proposed development would bring a “new creative dimension to the site”.
With more than 1,000 students accessing musical education in the Channel Islands, Mr Stevens wrote that in Liverpool a larger pool of tutors would be required to meet demands for growing student enrolment.
He said, “Over time, we hope through their professional development, these part-time positions can transition into full-time roles, reflecting increasing demand.”
It is Liverpool’s rich musical history that Mr Stevens said the school is seeking to tap into, adding, “We aim to hire locally to harness the city’s renowned musical talent.”
The facility is keen to recreate a “sense of community” in Speke and set out how, should city councillors agree, leaders seek to “embed SOPM in the city’s cultural fabric.” Mr Stevens wrote, “Our track record in Guernsey and Jersey proves the transformative power of inclusive, hands-on music education.
“In Liverpool, we believe our approach will not only enrich individual lives but also stimulate local economic activity, foster new partnerships, and help cultivate the next generation of vibrant musical talent in the UK’s UNESCO City of Music.
“Through free taster sessions, robust peripatetic links, and creative synergy with local venues, SOPM will serve as a cultural anchor—a place where creativity, community, and opportunity converge for the benefit of all.
“In short, our vision for Speke is to build on the success story we’ve already established, ensuring that music education doesn’t just happen behind closed doors but spills out into the wider neighbourhood as a dynamic, uplifting force.”
A date is yet to be confirmed for the plans to go before officials.
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