The creative arts will have a new home in Bath following Bath and North East Somerset Council’s go-ahead for a new Centre for the Arts at the University.

Opening in Autumn 2014, the four-storey building will feature dance studios, theatre, performance spaces and orchestra-sized rehearsal studios.

The centre, which is part of a £100m campus improvement programme, will also house the city’s only dedicated contemporary art exhibition space.

Construction firm Leadbitter has been appointed as the building contractors and work will begin on site in mid-June

The centre will be open to students and the public and a range of classes, workshops, performances and exhibitions will be on offer all year round.

A purpose-built education suite will host executive training and development from the School of Management, providing a combination of cultural creativity and business innovation.

John Struthers, director of the Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts (ICIA) said: “Our continuing ability to attract some of the brightest and most gifted students and staff to our University means we can face the future with great confidence.

“With this investment we plan to establish the Centre as a nationally recognised hub for contemporary arts and I look forward to welcoming people from across the region when we open the doors next Autumn.”

Dr Graham Abbey, director of executive development at the School of Management, added: “This is a tremendous opportunity for us to deliver innovative learning and development for experienced business leaders in an environment that has creativity at its heart.

“We are delighted to be developing this leading facility that will draw inspiration from the combination of leading management thinking and artistic expression.”