Bretton Hall
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Bretton Hall is a stately home in the county of West Yorkshire, England, near Wakefield. It is the home of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Bretton Country Park also houses sculptures.
The Hall itself is currently home to the school for Performance and Cultural Industries, a part of the University of Leeds, although plans have been made to close the college and move it to the main University campus. It was a teacher training college until that merged with the University in about 2000. The proposed closure caused a strong student backlash, although the move will be completed by 2007.
Founded in 1949, Bretton Hall College specialised in innovative courses in design, music and the visual and performance arts. Graduates include Kay Mellor, Colin Welland, Beatie Edney, Wayne McGregor, John Godber, Ken Robinson, David Rappaport, Mark Thomas, Mark Gatiss, Jeremy Dyson and Steve Pemberton.
The campus is renound for its beautiful and serene surroundings, with sculptures from the likes of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth dotted around the surrounding fields, creating an atmosphere that has been commented by many as ideal for artistic creation and study. Courses studied at the centre include Acting, Dance, Music Theatre, Arts Education, Arts Management, Performance Design and Production, Creative Writing and Dramaturgy.