International expansion is on the cards for a Channel Islands music education business as it announces a new campus in the heart of a Dubai redevelopment zone.
School of Popular Music was established in Guernsey in 2014 offering training and performance opportunities to budding musicians and singers before expanding to Jersey in 2021.
Now it plans to bring its offering to the new urban community of Expo City Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, opening in April.
The business says it will also soon announce a “major expansion” in Jersey and is actively exploring locations in the UK.
The business avoids the tuition fee model in favour of collaboration by encouraging students to form bands and partnerships, something Founder and Director Tyler Edmonds said would be continued in Dubai.
“This is a massive moment for us, but it is really a validation of the model we have built right here in the Channel Islands,” he said. “We started in Guernsey, proved that our modern approach works, and successfully expanded into Jersey. To now take that experience and plant it in a global hub like Dubai is incredibly exciting.”
The Expo City hub will become SOPM’s flagship school in the country, with the location picked for its urban, family-friendly design.
“We didn’t want to be tucked away in an office block. Expo City is a destination,” said Mr Edmonds.
“It is a place where people go to experience the future, and that aligns perfectly with how we view music education. This is a flagship space that our students in Guernsey, Jersey, and Dubai can all be proud of.”
The new school will feature open spaces that encourage group teaching and interaction between students, as well as professional private rooms and production studios for those interested in technology and recording.
All the schools will be integrated through its internal broadcast network SOPMTV which will allow a synchronized stream of content to be viewed from all the locations.
“We chose Expo City specifically because it values innovation, but we are keeping the human scale that makes School of Popular Music work,” Mr Edmonds added. “Whether a student is in Jersey, Guernsey, or Dubai, we want them to feel part of the same supportive community.”
SOPM said the success of its model will soon lead to developments in Jersey, the UK and further afield.
The school offers training for children as young as four up to young adults.