Morpeth performing arts school sings the praises of new premises

The Cowell Academy of Stage and Television (CAST) provides dance, gymnastics, singing and acting training for young people.

It has taken 2,238 sq ft of first floor space above the Sainsbury’s convenience store on Shields Road in Stobhill as part of a five-year deal brokered by retail property specialists @retail.

The move provides much-needed permanent space for founder and principal Sarah Cowell’s operations as she looks to develop her team of eight coaches and assistants and bring in a new office manager.

After originally opening for business at the former Storey Park Community Centre in 2019 and then running her classes from various venues in Morpeth, Sarah has seen CAST take off in the last three years as demand for her courses has soared.

She currently has more than 350 youngsters aged 18 months to 18 years on her books, who participate in dozens of weekly classes.

However, she fully expects student numbers to increase further in the next 12 months as she continues to bring in industry professionals to the school to ensure that they receive the best possible tuition.

Sarah said: “I’m thrilled with our new premises and with its proximity to local transport links, the town centre and large flexible workspace.

“It provides the perfect springboard to launch a new chapter of success for CAST and our students, and I would like to thank @retail as its team understood what we wanted to allow us to grow the business – they were extremely supportive in helping us to secure the right property in the right place, at the right price.”

She added that she was also attracted to the Shields Road site because of its on-site car parking and she has plans to add additional classes, expand her offer to include adult teaching and hire out the studios to professional companies for rehearsal.

Jonathan Chapman, associate at @retail, said: “Morpeth and other popular market towns across the region continue to receive considerable interest from entrepreneurial businesses and niche operators on the look-out for premises that can accommodate future expansion in operations.”