Hope Mill launches BA Honours in Musicals

Young actors were the key feature of Hope Mill's thrilling production of Rent. Now Hope Mill is keen to nurture more with its own BA Honours degree

Manchester's award-winning Hope Mill Theatre - known in particular for its ambitious musicals productions - has launched Hope Mill Theatre Arts - an education programme offering a BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre Performance.

Hope Mill Theatre Arts has been in development for the past four years and has now secured validation from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, meaning the first intake of around 30 students can take place in September 2026.

This will be one of few courses of its kind operated by a producing theatre to offer high quality musical theatre training at degree level. Students will be training in a busy producing theatre, surrounded by industry professionals and creatives with first-hand experience of the business.

The theatre has expanded its current space to allow for the new move, taking over the rest of the lower ground floor of its base, Hope Mill - the Grade II listed mill in Ancoats, close to the city centre

Darren Carr, vice principal and director of higher education at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, said: “I'm thrilled to announce the transformative partnership, marking a bold step in reimagining musical theatre training in the UK. This collaboration brings together NSCD’s vocational, academic excellence and sector-leading student support, with Hope Mill’s award-winning creative vision and vibrant industry connections.

"It is a course that champions versatility, innovation and professional readiness; this partnership embodies NSCD’s strategic mission to connect, nurture talent, and inspire change."

William Whelton, co-founder and CEO of Hope Mill Theatre, and principal of the new theatre arts school, said: “For the past four years Hope Mill Theatre has been exploring expansion into higher education, initially in musical theatre. For many years, exceptional arts training has been very London-focused. "Manchester and the north has always been a beacon of culture and through our own productions we have experienced the gap in training provision in the region.

"Over the past 10 years, Hope Mill Theatre has gained a reputation for producing some of the most exciting musicals in the UK. We now want to go back to the root of the industry we love so passionately and offer opportunities to young people wanting to pursue careers in musical theatre.

William Whelton confirmed that Hope Mill might not always be the theatre's performance centre: "The programme of work in our current space will become more reduced as HMTA grows," he said.

"It's still our ambition to expand into a larger building one day, and we have been working closely with Manchester City Council on this.

"Meanwhile, Hope Mill Theatre productions will continue to be produced outside this venue in other spaces across the city: recently we announced a yearly collaboration with the Lowry theatre, starting with Disney’s High School Musical next summer."

More HMTA info here