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Friday, 27 January 2006, 12:11 GMT

City fame school 'set to expand'

Sir Paul McCartney A fame school set up by Sir Paul McCartney in his native Liverpool could be set to expand across the world.

Sir Paul co-founded the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in the grounds of his old school in January 1996.

Future plans for the academy, which trains young people who want to work in entertainment, were revealed as it prepares to celebrate its anniversary.

Sites in Europe, the Far East, North and South America are being considered.

"People have approached us in Barcelona, Japan, Texas and Colombia to assist us in the creation of new performing arts institutes," said founding principal Mark Featherstone-Witty.

Independent actions

"These ideas are in the process of being created and are therefore ongoing. However, this encourages us to be pro-active over the next 10 years.

"Rather than passively wait for people to approach us, we will find partners and do it ourselves."

Mr Featherstone-Witty, who was inspired to create the institute after watching the New York stage school film Fame, said the decision was not Sir Paul's.

He added: "We hope that a mark of our maturity is that actions ascribed to Paul will cease. We are acting independently of him."

Although LIPA is independent of the former Beatle, he remains a patron and will be guest of honour at the 10th anniversary celebrations on Monday.

Sir Paul used £3m of his fortune to get LIPA off the ground, while persuading friends to invest in the £20m project.



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Related to this story:
Macca Mecca gets back to yesterday (22 Jul 03 |  Merseyside )
Ex-Liverpool student gets Beatle offer (05 Dec 02 |  England )

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