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A new BRIT School for the next generation of rising stars in stage and screen is set to open in Bradford, West Yorkshire, the government has announced.

The new free school will be based on the award-winning performing arts BRIT School in south London.

Collectively, alumni from the school have sold more than 250 million albums and won 15 BRIT Awards, with many more working behind the scenes in creative industries.

The Croydon-based educational establishment has helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s best known artists and actors including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Tom Holland and Jessie J.

Supported by industry leaders such as Sony Music Entertainment UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK, the new free school will be open to more than 500 16-to-19-year-olds.

Amy Winehouse
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Amy Winehouse

The lucky students will have the opportunity to study a specialised creative curriculum, including dance, music, theatre, and production arts.

The free-to-attend BRIT School North will form part of the BPI Education Academy Trust (BEAT), supported by the BRIT School, Day One Trust, and East London Arts and Music.

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The school is projected to open in 2026/2027 with the final site yet to be decided but it will be in a central location in Bradford.

Duchess of Cornwall meets students at the Brit School in Croydon, South London .PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday March 27, 2013. See PA story ROYAL Brit . Photo credit should read: Steve Parsons/PA Wire
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The London branch of the school

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “My home city of Liverpool is famously the home of the Beatles, Mersey Beat and many more stars. Whether on stage, on screen, or behind the scenes, the North is full of creative talent.

“This announcement will mean more young people will be able to reach their potential and follow in their footsteps, at the new BRIT School in the North.

“We are broadening opportunities so more of our children can access this springboard to success in the UK’s growing creative industries.”

Tom Holland
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Tom Holland

Dr Jo Twist OBE, chief executive of the British Phonographic Industry, said: “We are delighted with this decision, and it is a positive signal that government recognises the critical importance of creative and specialist creative arts education.

“This school will not only focus on producing our next generation of performers, but crucially, train young people with the important technical qualities needed for our industries to thrive and provide them with opportunities that they otherwise might not be able to access.”

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “For more than 30 years, the BRIT School has been nurturing the next generation of creative talent – producing some of the most influential and successful performers and artists of our time.

“The new school in Bradford will give even more young people the opportunity to develop their skills and maximise their potential, while creating a pipeline of talent for our thriving creative industries.”

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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Boy dies after ‘getting into difficulty’ in lake in southeast London

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Boy dies after 'getting into difficulty' in lake in southeast London

A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.

Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.

The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.

“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.

The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.

The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.

In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.

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google street view inside Beckenham Place park, Lewisham where a 16 y/o boy is missing after getting into difficulty in a lake
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Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon

Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.

The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.

It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”

Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.

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