Clapham music school where Ed Sheeran and The 1975’s Matt Healy studied to relocate to Brixton House

A music school where Ed Sheeran and The 1975's frontman Matt Healy studied is set to move into Brixton House. The London Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) is intending to occupy the third floor of the award-winning building on Coldharbour Lane.

The music school, which offers courses in production, songwriting and performance, is relocating from its previous London base in Clapham. ACM London has been running out of the recently refurbished Carlton Mansions next door to Brixton House since January.

The music school intends to remain there until the £899,000 refurbishment of Brixton House's third floor is completed and ready for ACM London's permanent relocation.

Alumni of the school, which also has campuses in Birmingham and Guildford, include Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and Matt Healy, frontman for the Brit Award-winning pop rock band, The 1975. Sheeran studied for a Guitar Higher Diploma at the ACM between 2009 and 2010, while Healy completed a Vocal Diploma at the school between 2007 and 2008. 

Lambeth Council is investing £119,000 in the fit-out of Brixton House's third floor for the school with ACM providing the other £780,000.

The recently completed Brixton House won the sought-after Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) London Award 2023 for its design. It was built as a new home for Brixton House Theatre (formerly Ovalhouse) and opened in early 2022. 

The third floor of the building is currently reserved for office use so Lambeth Council has made a planning application to allow the floor to be used for educational purposes.

A report, prepared by council planning officers that recommend the change of use for approval, says the project "presents a unique opportunity to co-locate a higher education provider with a focus on music and the creative arts in the same buildings as the Brixton Theatre.

"The creative industry can be incredibly difficult to enter into and find success, and therefore the co-location of the two uses will help to break down this barrier," the report adds. 

A council planning committee will make a decision on the application this evening (June 6).