The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts celebrated its 30th anniversary by conferring its inaugural in-house degrees upon graduates hailing from 28 countries. Established in 1996 to teach performers and technical crews side by side, the organisation now provides foundation certificates, master's tracks, and undergraduate qualifications. During the landmark event, McCartney also presented honorary creative companionships to five high-profile industry professionals, including Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Lynette Howell Taylor.
Key points
The ceremony marks the first time the institute has conferred its own direct degrees sinc…: The ceremony marks the first time the institute has conferred its own direct degrees since its 1996 opening.
LIPA continues its core educational approach of educating backstage personnel alongside o…: LIPA continues its core educational approach of educating backstage personnel alongside on-stage performers across multiple creative disciplines.
Honorary companionships were presented to industry leaders, including Academy president a…: Honorary companionships were presented to industry leaders, including Academy president and alumna Lynette Howell Taylor and actor Stephen Graham.
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Thirty years after Sir
Paul McCartney helped open the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in a former Liverpool school, the institution has reached a milestone that blends history with a new beginning. At its 2026 graduation ceremony, LIPA conferred its first LIPA degrees and celebrated more than 400 graduating students from 28 countries. The event, held on 21 July at the Liverpool Experience Campus, also honoured leading figures from film, theatre, music and arts management, with McCartney present as the institute’s Founding Patron. Read more details about it, as per LIPA's website, here:
From a former school to LIPA
LIPA was founded by Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty and opened in 1996 in the former Liverpool Institute for Boys, the school McCartney once attended. The idea was to create a place where performers and the people who work behind the scenes could train together, reflecting the practical realities of the creative industries. That founding vision remains visible in the institute’s course structure. LIPA offers undergraduate, master’s and foundation certificate programmes in acting, dance, music, musical theatre, filmmaking, theatre…
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