Responding to the live event industry's growth and its goal of next generation workforce development, Rock Lititz is adding an education center to its 108-acre campus.

Lancaster-based Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) and United Kingdom-based Academy of Live Technology (ALT) at Production Park, formerly Backstage Academy, have partnered to create the ALT at Rock Lititz. The new ALT and the partnership among Rock Lititz, PCA&D and the ALT at Production Park was launched at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival at the British Music Embassy on March 13 by Lee Brooks, CEO of Production Park; Rachel Nicholson from ALT; Andrea Shirk, president and CEO at Rock Lititz; and Carissa Massey, provost of PCA&D.

The partnership represents a global scale collaboration, melding the strengths and expertise of Rock Lititz, PCA&D and the British higher education provider, which has helped students to develop live production creative, technical and professional skills since its founding in 2011.

Construction has begun on the ALT at Rock Lititz facility, which adjoins the existing large-scale rehearsal spaces, Studio 1 and Studio 2. The structure includes 22,400 square feet of classrooms, production space, digital labs and a students' common area, with the option of expanding to the second and third floors to meet future needs.

A fourth rehearsal studio is also included in the structure, which will accommodate artists who perform at clubs, theaters and small amphitheater venues, and will provide PCA&D students with hands-on experiences in production technologies. The 9,300-square-foot Studio B includes 7,000 square feet of open space for rehearsals, product demonstrations and technical training sessions.

Students will attend their general education classes at PCA&D's downtown Lancaster facilities, then receive their immersive technical education on the Rock Lititz campus, earning a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in live experience design and production. Student recruitment has begun, and the Rock Lititz campus education center will be ready to welcome students for classes in the fall of 2024.

Recognizing the proximity to a number of live experience and event production companies in the region, PCA&D added the live experience design major in 2021 to prepare art and design students for opportunities in the growing industry.

To learn more about the live experience design and production major, visit http://www.pcad.edu/live-experience. More information about the Academy of Live Technology and the Rock Lititz community can be found by visiting http://www.academyoflivetechnology.co and http://www.rocklititz.com, respectively.