Could new Brit School balance the UK music scene?

Bad Boy Chiller Crew are one of Bradford's big musical success stories

What do Adele, Tom Holland and Raye have in common?

They all went to the Brit School - which has produced some of the UK's top music and acting talent.

But, like so many things, the performing arts academy is based in London.

Now the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which runs the school, says it wants to open another one in Bradford.

If it gets approved by the government, the new West Yorkshire branch - The Brit School North - hopes to emulate its success in London.

And some people BBC Newsbeat spoke to in the city centre, like Hibah Amaan, think the new school could produce "the Bradford Adele".

Why Bradford?

If this was your first response to hearing about the plans, you might be surprised to know the city's turned out some pretty well-known artists.

Zayn Malik and Bad Boy Chiller Crew come from Bradford - and Brit School bosses say they were drawn to its cultural scene.

Nia Archives says she had to go to London to pursue her career

DJ and producer Nia Archives, who was born in the city, tells BBC Newsbeat it could bring some much-needed balance to the UK arts scene.

"I feel like music and like creative industries are really London-centric," she says.

"So I think it'd be really amazing for young people living in the north to have opportunities to get into the industry."

Nia, who was recently nominated for a Brits Rising Star Award, grew up in Leeds before moving to Manchester at 16.

But she says she ended up heading to London to pursue her career.

"But I do feel like, if I look back, if there had been some kind of resource or opportunities or like, you know, workshops, I could have definitely got in a lot earlier.

"So I think for young people, something like Brit School in Bradford, in the north, I think it'd be really amazing and important and it gets rid of barriers."

Jack and Kenzo say Bradford's got an active music scene but isn't as recognised as other big cities

Barriers are something that local rappers Kenzo and Jack recognise.

"I think there's a stigma on Bradford and a perception that we might not be as good as the rest of the country," Kenzo says.

"And if artists and creatives are down south, they'll do a lot better. The Brit School coming up here, we're able to showcase our talent."

Jack adds: "There's a really big creative scene in Bradford that people don't talk about... it's a lot of arts and musicians and productions going on.

"Obviously people are trying to do their own thing but I feel that something like the Brit School could really help the people that are trying to go into that industry."

Gareth Kelly, better known as GK from Bad Boy Chiller Crew, says the group knows about doing their own thing.

They started off as "musical pranksters", posting tracks on Snapchat and Facebook before they started getting big numbers on their songs.

Now they're Brit Award nominees with millions of plays, touring the country to sell-out crowds.

But GK says the Chiller Crew boys "never had that chance to go to a school, we had to do it ourselves, what these schools do - putting people on platforms and helping them".

So he says he was "gobsmacked" when he heard the news.

"It's such a big a big thing, the Brit School.

"It's a really good idea. And obviously for my people in Bradford as well, people who are wanting to get into this sort of game, it's brilliant."

The Brit school

• It's a government-funded comprehensive school, so it's free to attend

• But only 10% of its students are from outside the London area

• It's not just for performers - you can study backstage technical subjects and things like game design

• The school insists it's not exclusive - Newsbeat interviewed its principal in 2017 and he said they "see pretty much everyone that applies"

• Critics have accused the school of focusing on mainstream pop acts rather than other genres

• And former students who've gone on to make it big have been accused of having an unfair advantage over others

Read more: Why the Brit School is more than just a fame academy

If the Bradford Brit School gets permission to open, its bosses hope to see its first students in 2026.

Until then, both GK and Nia have got advice for up-and-coming artists.

"There's hurdles, there's leaps and bounds," says GK.

"Don't give up if you've got a dream and a passion. It's out there for the taking, the world's yours."

And Nia says: "Be selfish. Make what you want to make, make what you want to hear and what you want to see.

"And just keep going because if you love something, then you shouldn't really give up on that."

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