A landmark report has been commissioned to establish the UK’s first National Centre for Musical Theatre in the West Midlands.

Arts Council England, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham City University / Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust and West Midlands Combined Authority will partner to create a business case for a world-leading facility for musical theatre in the UK.

The five organisations will work with local, regional and national stakeholders to develop a first-class proposition to be informed by a period of consultation with sector and regional partners, as well as examples of international excellence in this field.

The plans hope that as one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, Birmingham can build an international creative ecology around the art form.

A National Centre for Musical Theatre would grow skills and training to help fill the national industry skills gap whilst creating opportunities for young people from the region.

It would also aim to enhance the West Midlands as an exciting location to live and work as an artist and create a new cultural destination for the region. With Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network both located in Birmingham, the partnership already has a strong network of regional expertise to draw on.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: “The UK has a strong reputation for creating and producing musicals that delight audiences across the country and around the globe. Birmingham’s far-sighted plans for a new National Centre for Musical Theatre will help drive the growth of this important art form nationally and internationally, as well as offering the opportunity to nurture the next generation of creative talent in the West Midlands.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair added: “Musical innovation is in the DNA of the West Midlands. From pioneering heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath to the multi-cultural Two Tone movement, our impact on music has been global. Even our greatest TV export, Peaky Blinders, is now a stage musical so I can’t think of a better place to have a National Centre for Musical Theatre.

“We need to unleash and nurture the enormous talent we have in the West Midlands by providing the training opportunities local people need to land jobs in our growing creative sector. Having a musical theatre centre located here will help support that ambition.”