New IT building opens at Richard Huish College

The Maple building was opened on Wednesday, April 11, by Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Anne Maw. 

The new visual arts and IT centre, which cost £3million to build, opened to students in November 2017. 

It has been equipped with facilities such as an art studio and an Apple Mac suite.

The new Maple building. 

The building was opened at a celebration with Huish staff, governors, deputy mayor of Taunton Deane cllr Catherine Herbert, MP Rebecca Pow and representatives from other business people from the arts and education industries. 

Principal John Abbott thanked everybody for their support.

John Abbot with Anne Maw. 

He said: “Over the last 5 years Huish students have benefited from more than £10 million of capital investment into this site, with the Maple building becoming the fifth new building we have completed.

"We have built significantly improved and enlarged social and café spaces, a new student accommodation block, and a new sports hall, and now a new building that houses significantly improved visual art and IT teaching spaces.

"I am delighted that we are able to continue to invest in improving our specialist resources and in doing so promote a broader positive mental health and sustain or develop a lifelong interest in the arts, music or sport.”

Ms Maw said: “I deeply agree with the support Huish provides for students within the creative industries.

"I believe arts are another language and form of communication and should be encouraged and celebrated, whether this is through art, graphic design, music or acting.

"I’m excited to be here and feel privileged to open this astonishing new facility.”

Having completed this build ahead of schedule, building contractors Halsall are already making steady progress on the next development, a new home for music, which is due to open in Autumn 2018, containing two new recording spaces along with other specialist music teaching and performance spaces.