Our aim

The Perse has a proud theatrical heritage, counting among its alumni one of the greatest names of the post-war theatre, Sir Peter Hall. This tradition continues strongly to the present day with a good number of OPs choosing career streams related to performing arts.

It should therefore come as no surprise that the final piece in the School’s current master plan should be a performing arts centre. Yet this will be much more than a facility to promote the arts; it is the part of the most radical physical alteration since the move to Hills Road in 1960 and a project that will profoundly transform the School.

But for The Perse this facility will do much more than simply promote the arts. It will enable us to encompass and enrich a host of activities across all academic departments, for example by hosting educational seminars and conferences on all subjects including science, technology, engineering and enterprise. With it, we will also be able to expand our partnership projects with other institutions, such as the Isaac Physics Partnership with University of Cambridge.

The performing arts centre will also benefit children in the wider Cambridge community through our outreach programme. Drama courses, clubs and holiday schools will create opportunities to develop new performing arts talent, as well as improving essential communication skills of children beyond the school gates.