Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

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Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

LIPA's main entrance, on Mount Street
Established	7 June 1996 (1996-06-07)
Location	Liverpool , England 53°23′58.4″N 2°58′20.3″W / 53.399556°N 2.972306°W / 53.399556; -2.972306
Affiliations	Federation of Drama Schools
Website	www.lipa.ac.uk
Building details
General information
Construction started	1990
Design and construction
Architect(s)	David Watkins – Brock Carmichael Architects[1]

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts higher education institution in Liverpool, founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty and opened in 1996. LIPA offers 11 full-time BA (Hons) degrees in a range of fields across the performing arts, as well as three Foundation Certificate programmes of study in acting, music technology, and dance and popular music. LIPA offers full-time, one-year master's-level degree courses in acting (company) and costume making. It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools.^[2]

The Education Guardian has previously ranked LIPA No. 1 in the UK for several of its degree courses,^{[citation needed]} and it is regularly ranked as one of the top 10 specialist institutions.^[3] LIPA has been awarded gold by the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which rates higher education providers by teaching quality.^[4]

In September 2003, LIPA launched LIPA 4–19, a part-time performing arts academy for 4-to-19-year-olds. Since then, a satellite school and associate academies have also been launched. LIPA started its own primary free school in 2014 and its own sixth form free college in 2016.