New Academy facilities in east London to be named Susie Sainsbury Studios

The Royal Academy of Music has announced its new teaching and rehearsal spaces on London City Island in Docklands will be named Susie Sainsbury Studios.

The new building includes four large, acoustically separated studios which will transform the learning experience for students, and especially those training for careers in opera and musical theatre. Mirroring a professional environment, the studios will also enable rehearsals with full sets and within the same spatial context and dimensions of the Susie Sainsbury Theatre. The studios will be open for the start of the 2027/28 academic year.

In addition to these large studios, the building offers 10 teaching and practice rooms, each including a grand piano and in-built recording facilities. The new site also allows for the expansion of the Academy’s participation work, as part of a commitment to widen access to high-quality music education for local communities. Partnerships are already established with Spitalfields Music, local primary schools and the Bromley-by-Bow Centre.

The development of this new site in east London complements other major capital projects taking place at the Academy’s main building in Marylebone, ensuring that students have access to outstanding facilities to match their talent and aspirations. 

Amongst several generous donors to this major new facility, Dame Susie has played a central role in allowing the Academy to make the fit-out on London City Island a reality. 

Principal Jonathan Freeman-Attwood said: ‘Words are hard to find when thinking about Dame Susie’s place at the heart of the Academy’s recent history. Providing opportunities through extraordinary donations is only one part of the picture, however critical. Ceaseless imagination accompanies a readiness to roll up her sleeves with her famously tireless work behind the scenes. Everything is fuelled by a passionate and selfless quest to make life better for young artists. The name of Susie Sainsbury denotes utter dedication, writ large, across the arts in the UK. But here, specifically, we celebrate her contribution to a recent generation of Academy musicians and the many generations who follow.’