Students have started classes at the £6.3million Margate Digital campus with full operation of the site expected to take place after the February half term.
Margate Digital gained the £6.3million allocation from the government’s Levelling Up fund in 2021 to create a digital and education campus with studios, gallery, café and workshops at the former M&S building in the High Street.
The Margate Digital project includes 2,000 sq m of industry-relevant training space.
Completion of the project, which included EKC Group ‘match-funding’ of £720,000, means students have a base for a number of creative technology courses, including an new T Level, diplomas and a new animation syllabus thanks to collaboration with A+C Studios, which is also based in Margate.
Although there have been delays to the scheme opening date, it is now in use and awaiting the transfer of its first full cohort.
Principal of EKC Broadstairs College, Paul Owen: “We’re really pleased that students from EKC Training have already started classes inside this fantastic new space, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the campus.
“Our new EKC Broadstairs College Margate Digital Campus provision is due to transfer over after the February half term, with students getting the full benefit of the inspirational learning environment then.
“We are thrilled about the opportunities this state-of-the-art facility will bring, not just for our students, but for the wider Thanet community.”
The M&S building, owned in a joint venture between Thanet council and Homes England, is let to EKC Group on a 125-year, peppercorn rent lease.
Twenty year projections are for an initial intake of 90 students, rising to an estimated capacity of 220 students by year eight. Income for the campus is provided by way of fee income from a variety of courses including adult learning courses.
The anticipated revenue also includes operating and service charge contributions from leasing out space within the building.
Find out what’s on offer at: https://www.broadstairscollege.ac.uk/study-with-us/ekc-broadstairs-college-margate-digital-campus/
AS a member of the Thanet Regeneration Board I have been lucky enough to have been on a guided toor of the facility. It is a truely ammazing facility, state of the art, There is nowhere in this country with these facilities. Thanet’s youth need to take advantage and I thank East Kent Collages, Thanet District Council and the Government for working together. The vision is for a centre of excellence for Thanets electronic arts community. Well done all.
Guided toor?
Congrats Cllr David Green, I had no idea you were still involved in Regeneration after we served, together as Directirs of Thanet Community Development Trust, 2003-2006. Well done!
Let’s hope no-one starts a petition to prevent the cafe opening.
Huh?
Peter – your humour sometimes falls on stony ground! Paul’s response highlights that.
I posted the same comment on Facebook, but had to delete it as it went waaay over people’s heads!
Actually, if this cafe is open to the public and they’re getting the building for a peppercorn rent, then perhaps it IS genuinely unfair to other independent eateries in Margate?
(Paul, have a look at other recent news items on here)
Giving this building to the college for a peppercorn rent when they had an annual surplus of £4.4m according to their latest accounts and over £17m cash in the bank does seem a very generous gesture. Does TDC not need the cash from assets it owns ?
It looks like the workmen are still there no sign of any students i pass there daily
And where are all the jobs in Animation, Illustration, VFX & Creative Media for them at the end of it? Not in Thanet.
To be fair, a good job is a good job. I’ll still believe it when I see it though.
Indeed-but it does seem bizarre spending millions on courses in Thanet-only for people to then have to commute or move to London, Sheffield etc to actually get the jobs it would lead to.
Surely you should be enticing/starting up companies locally actually doing these things you are using millions of money for? If not those millions should have gone on investment elsewhere-the Winter Gardens & Theatre Royal now finally getting peanuts compared to the ‘art hubs’ & Dreamland after years of nothing could have greatly benefitted.
The dead high street full of empty shops etc? Why create courses for jobs that don’t exist here & apparently from every comment they have made for several years now nobody involved in this has any intentions of creating?