A Campus for Creativity
Access Creative College has over 4500 learners studying at 7 campuses throughout the UK. Following our work on reinventing their spaces in Manchester and Bristol, ACC asked us back to design a brand-new, multi-million pound campus in East London to replace their previous space in Shoreditch. ACC Whitechapel is the institution’s seventh and largest campus, opened to provide opportunities in creative education to young people across the country.
With a track record of producing stars and careers over the last 30 years since in 1992, ACC has nurtured and developed some of the biggest names in British music including FLO, Jess Glynne, Nova Twins, Rita Ora, and a certain Ed Sheeran – who studied the Artist Development programme at Access Creative College’s former London campus in 2007-08.
Developing the Concept
Spread across three floors, the Whitechapel campus accommodates specialist, acoustically sealed learning spaces, including rehearsal rooms, recording studios, green screen studios, and performance areas. 'Super Space' classrooms integrate hands-on learning with games and media production zones within traditional settings, enhancing the student experience.
Connecting corridors double as social and collaborative hubs, fostering idea exchange. The design, inspired by video games, features vibrant grids incorporating industrial materials like Amron steel mesh and corrugated panels, and striking LED and neon strip lighting.
A Special Launch
The launch of the new campus was supported by renowned alumni, including Ed Sheeran, Let’s Eat Grandma, and Beth McCarthy. The event was further highlighted by the presence of Deputy Labour Party Leader Angela Rayner, who attended as the Guest of Honour.
The evening featured a special performance by ACC alumna Beth McCarthy, along with a guided tour of the campus’s cutting-edge facilities, designed to push the boundaries of creative education. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a variety of immersive workshops, ranging from DJ masterclasses and an introduction to the innovative world of virtual reality to an exciting chance to compete as an esports professional.
"The team at Sheila Bird have been creating amazing learning environments for our students as we've grown as an organisation.
Each of their designs for our creative campuses in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and now London, sets a new bar of quality, innovation and creativity that continue to inspire the young people that use them everyday."
Jason Beaumont
CEO, Access Creative College
“I went to Access College when I was 17 and 18, and it just gave me so much freedom to be creative in London and have a base to meet like-minded people. A lot of the time you go to school and you’re made to feel you have to grow up and get a proper job and what Access does is it gives you a safety net of trying something before you go out into the big wide world. I found it so helpful and I hope you enjoy going there. I’m sure there are people there that are going to be headlining festivals in 10 years' time!”
Ed Sheeran, Former student and Patron of ACC
