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Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT) and Phoenix Dance Theatre have revealed a new vision for a centre of excellence for dance in Leeds. New designs by the Strategic Design Alliance, a partnership of Jacobs and Leeds City Council's in-house architects, were unveiled at the launch of Momentum, the campaign to raise the remaining funds required for the new building.

HRH The Earl of Wessex attended the launch on Thursday 21 February 2008 where Leeds Metropolitan University announced that it is investing in the new dance centre in a partnership with NBT and Phoenix.

The projected building cost is £12million and £10.5million of that sum has already been secured from Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Forward, Arts Council England and other donors. Momentum will raise the remaining £1.5million.

Dean of Leeds Met's Faculty of Arts and Society, Chris Bailey, said: "Leeds is associated with the best in dance and has the strongest tradition of dance-making of any city in England outside London. This opportunity will attract students from many disciplines, including performing arts, to work alongside the companies in the new centre, learning from them about best practice in their professions."

Located in what has been described as Leeds' cultural quarter at Quarry Hill (adjacent to the West Yorkshire Playhouse), the six-storey dance centre will be purpose-built to meet the demands of the two award-winning dance companies.

Plans for the new building incorporate seven dance studios including a 200-seat studio theatre, a health suite, wardrobe facilities, office space, meeting rooms and a public exhibition space.

It will be the only dance centre in the UK to accommodate a contemporary dance company alongside a classical ballet company with an associated school. The building will enable NBT and Phoenix to develop all aspects of their work and provide much needed creative space where new productions will be developed and rehearsed and where previous repertoire can be revived. The exhibition space will also act as an additional public arts space for Leeds.

Building work is due to start on site in Spring 2009 and the new building is scheduled to open in summer 2010. For further information about the Momentum campaign visit the website: