MP Mike Tapp opens EKC Dover College Bench Street Arts Campus

MP for Dover and Deal, Mike Tapp, has officially opened the new EKC Dover College Bench Street Arts Campus, alongside EKC Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Lucy McLeod.

The event marked a huge milestone in the development of the Campus, which delivers a creative provision in the heart of Dover. The building also hosts the EKC Training Dover Centre, which runs bespoke programmes to support adult learning.

The Bench building was developed by Dover District Council as part of the Dover Beacon Project and funded by the UK Government.

Alongside the Bench Street Arts Campus and EKC Training Centre, the building is home to Docker café, creative agency Screen South, and Benchworks, a dedicated co-working space.

The move to Bench Street marks a significant milestone in the College’s commitment to Dover’s community, building on more than a decade of work to expand opportunities for young people and support the town’s growing creative and cultural sector.

At the launch event, MP Mike Tapp declared the creative campus open following a ribbon-cutting. After this, guests were welcomed to explore the state-of-the-art facilities, which include a darkroom, photography studio, art classroom, EKC Training classrooms and more.

Reflecting on the launch of the new Campus, MP Mike Tapp said: “The building’s really important on its own because it does look good as you’re driving into the town, which is really important for any town. But it also means that children, young people and adults have the opportunity to learn more, particularly in the creative industries, which for me is really important.

“We know that it’s good for the economy to have people learning and working in the creative industries. But it also, in my view, goes beyond just working within the arts. It also develops a way of thinking that creativity, which is valuable to absolutely every job, because if you can think creatively, you’re more likely to solve problems.”

The Dover and Deal MP added that, as well as creative opportunities, the new Campus also offers valuable opportunities for adult learning.

“I think having that opportunity to upskill or change skills or just learn more is really valuable,” he said.

“Sometimes that means you might want a qualification to help with work, but actually it can also help you develop as a person and just feed that interest that you might have.”

EKC Group’s Chief Executive Officer Lucy McLeod added the new Campus is a fantastic opportunity for Dover and the surrounding areas.

“The building itself is wonderful and iconic here on the seafront,” she said.

“We’ll have many, many people driving past, but also the fact that it’s supporting the creative industries, a growing part of the economy, and something that our students deserve the opportunity to be part of, is fantastic.”

Chair of Governors for EKC Group, Tim Kent, added he was extremely impressed to see the new Bench Street Arts Campus.

He said: “I’ve just got one word, which is ‘wow’. I’m lost for words with this building. And not just the building, but for the opportunities it’s going to offer for the students and for the people of Dover.

“Looking around, people are just so energised and just so focused on learning, learning new things, not just creative, but on all the other things that we offer at the College – it’s just so nice to see.”

While the new Campus provides inspiring learning environments for EKC Dover College students studying creative subjects, it also houses an adult training centre operated by EKC Training, offering courses in Employability, Hospitality, Retail and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Deputy Principal for EKC Training’s Adult Provision, Jo Gill, explained the importance of adult learning not just to the community, but also to the economy.

She said: “Adult learning is so important to the economy, for the local community, but most importantly, adult learning pays at the end of the day.

“We’re trying to support people into either employment for the first time or into employment after they’ve had a break, or to help them to progress in employment.

“We want them to be able to sustain that employment for the future and improve their earning prospects.”

To discover more about the new Campus and EKC Training Centre, click here.