Cameron Mackintosh gifts Mountview Academy £1 million to complete new home in Peckham

Mountview Academy has received a gift of £1 million from Cameron Mackintosh to contribute towards its new home.

Mountview, which has been training artists since 1945, recently opened the doors of its new £30 million venue in Peckham, which provides 21 dance and acting studios, two theatres, TV and sound recording studios and more for aspiring creatives working to move into the arts industry.

The new building's 200-seat main auditorium will now be named the Cameron Mackintosh Theatre, and will host over 20 student productions as well as touring shows and community groups.

Speaking about the gift Mackintosh said: "The vision of the school's Principal, Stephen Jameson, vigorously supported by their brilliant Chair, Vikki Heywood and her Board, including my industry colleagues such as André Ptaszynski, together with their President Judi Dench, have convinced me that Mountview is on track to enjoy a brilliant new era as one of Britain's finest Drama schools, harnessing thrilling raw talent from every corner of society and preparing them for a great career in both drama and musical theatre.

"A lot has been written recently, sometimes unfairly, about careers in the theatre being out of reach to anyone who is not from a well-heeled background. The new Mountview will prove that to get on, you don't have to be posh. You just have to be good."

You can see photos and plans from Mountview's new home under construction here.

Dench added: "I was overwhelmed to receive Cameron's hand-written note revealing the news. His extraordinary gift is a milestone moment in Mountview's history, completing its new home in Peckham and giving generations of students for years to come a world-class stage to match the calibre of its training."