The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
The College of Music
WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses designed for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Study at the UK’s fastest-growing music college.
Our Courses
Interested in a career within the music industry? WaterBear could be the perfect fit.
Why Choose WaterBear?
Keeping Music Live
Independent music venues lie at the heart of grassroots music. This is where many emerging artists and musicians begin their journey to becoming successful, confident performers. In collaboration with the Music Venue Trust, we’ve launched the Keeping Music Live campaign to stand with and support these venues, and to champion their vital role in shaping the future of music. We also run our very own music venues – The WaterBear Venue on Brighton Seafront, The WaterBear Music Bar in Brighton’s Kemptown, with a third venue in Sheffield coming soon.
Run by musicians for musicians
From our founders and tutors through to our supporting staff, we are a college filled with professional musicians and creatives actively working across many areas of the industry. This not only brings real-world context and experience to the curriculum, but also creates a network of like-minded musicians and creatives, all with lived experiences of a life in music.
Developing independent artists
WaterBear is all about empowering the independent, DIY artist, who wants to take full control of their music and their life. We foster a culture of self-belief and determination, with a commitment to high-quality musical output, all of which are key to success and fundamental to the WaterBear experience. Our Artist Development team brings extensive industry knowledge and experience, supporting students as they grow into independent, authentic artists.
Creating career opportunities
At WaterBear, the Music Industries team is the engine behind your music industry journey. They’re committed to providing exciting opportunities for hands-on experience across a wide range of music business activities, including live gigs, touring, session work, record labels and publishing, artist management, live sound engineering, studio production, festivals, conferences, education and live events management. There are also regular masterclasses and events designed to grow your network and fast-track your connections to industry.
1-1 Mentoring programme
Our unique one-to-one mentoring programme is a key part of the WaterBear experience. All students receive allocated 1-1 mentoring time with a diverse group of industry professionals. Your mentoring sessions can really help you focus on those areas where extra support is needed to improve. The WaterBear mentoring programme is structured to provide 1-1 advice, guidance and support in 3 fundamental areas: Musical development, academic achievement, and music industries support, providing personal advice across careers and artist development.
Building World-Class Facilities
WaterBear’s campuses are equipped with cutting edge, professional grade facilities that support every stage of your music journey. From high spec rehearsal spaces and recording studios to media suites and performance venues, every space is built to industry standard. These creative environments give you the freedom to experiment, collaborate and produce your best work from day one.
Partners of Falmouth University
WaterBear is a proud partner and College of Falmouth University, one of the UK’s most prestigious creative arts institutions. Our close relationship with Falmouth ensures consistently high standards of academic quality and student experience are met. All courses delivered at WaterBear are approved and awarded by Falmouth, meaning you’ll graduate with a Falmouth University degree or master’s qualification.
Smaller Class Sizes
You won’t find big lecture halls here. Classes are restricted in size to smaller groups, something we believe is vital for high-quality learning. Typical class sizes range from 6 to 15. Tutors can therefore spend more time with each person, focussing on personal strengths development and individual learning styles.
Flexible Learning
Whatever your course of study, content from every WaterBear course is available 24/7, for everyone. If you’re studying a campus-based course but can’t get to the college for whatever reason – no problem. You can log in remotely to the WaterBear VLE and keep up-to-date with your course, access the huge library of course content, and keep in contact with the WaterBear community. This flexible approach to learning allows you to fit study around your life, not the other way around, which is often so important for today’s musicians
COLLABORATION
At WaterBear, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. Whether you’re forming a band, producing tracks, creating content, or planning live events, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded creatives ready to connect and co-create. Our courses, venues, and digital platforms are designed to encourage teamwork, build networks, and spark new ideas—helping you grow as both an artist and a collaborator.
Adaptive Learning
WaterBear is a leading player in both digital learning and classroom-based teaching and learning. All live lectures are backed up with rich online content, discussion groups, feedback forums and tutorials. With course content for all subjects on every course being available for everyone, you’ll have the freedom to choose what you want to study and learn.
WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES
Hanover House
From September 2025, the addition of three new floors will expand Hanover House to include live performance rooms, recording studios, instrumental rooms, rehearsal suites, common rooms, Mac suites, mentoring rooms, and general-purpose teaching spaces. It will also feature a 1,000 sq. ft. recording studio, which will serve as the engine room of Hanover House. This studio will be fully equipped with both analogue and digital gear to support a wide range of recording needs.
Gatecrasher
Located right in the heart of the Cultural Industries Quarter, our Sheffield HQ stands on the old site of the famous Sheffield superclub, Gatecrasher. The building currently holds Mac suites, teaching spaces, live performance room, recording suite, and mentoring rooms. Sheffield HQ will be expanding from September 2025 to hold brand new common spaces alongside networking and collaboration rooms. A place to meet and relax is fundamental to every uni campus, and we want our students to feel comfortable and welcomed. Our common rooms are there for you to meet, hang, collaborate, network, and share ideas. And get a great coffee too.
Vintage and Modern gear
As a college run by professional musicians, we know everything about equipment and what kind of gear you need access to. Within their own dedicated spaces drummers learn on acoustic kits, guitarists and bassists plug into their own amps, music producers and electronic artists work with the latest tech and equipment. Teaching rooms are fitted out with state-of-the-art digital A/V technology. You’ll also find classic vintage gear alongside modern musical equipment to give you the best of both worlds. You’ll also navigate different Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) such as Pro Tools, Ableton and Logic Pro. All WaterBear students take part in audio production classes to expand their technical knowledge and compositional skills and to investigate different methods of recording.
Live Music Venues
You’ll have regular opportunities to perform live at fantastic partner venues across Sheffield and Brighton, including two WaterBear-run venues in Brighton, with another coming soon in Sheffield. Students are encouraged to organise gigs, tours, and events, gaining real experience, building networks, and becoming part of the local music scene. Live performance, along with supporting emerging artists and grassroots venues through our Keeping Music Live campaign, is central to everything we do at WaterBear.
WaterBear Venue
This is WaterBear’s very own seafront music and club venue. Located right on the beach, this iconic venue was once one of Brighton’s most famous club venues. Now exclusively operated by WaterBear, it’s a great place for our musicians to socialise, with lots of events happening throughout the week. The Venue can also be booked by students for their own music projects, and there are regular opportunities for work there too.
WaterBear Music Bar
Located in Kemptown, this eclectic venue is known for its vibrant atmosphere and rich musical heritage. It has hosted renowned UK artists, including Amy Winehouse, The Kooks, and Chris Difford of Squeeze. Now operated by WaterBear, the music bar hosts a diverse range of gigs and events, featuring a dedicated live music basement and a ground-floor bar with an intimate performance space. WaterBear students benefit from access to the venue for classes, rehearsals, performances, and stagecraft development. There are also opportunities to work at the venue and use it as a space to socialise.
Recording and Rehearsing
As a student at WaterBear, you’ll benefit from free, bookable access to recording and rehearsal facilities. Our facilities are designed to support every stage of the creative process, from initial songwriting and pre-production to tracking and mixing. Alongside our brand new, 1000 sqft recording studio and live room in Hanover House, we also partner with some exceptional partner studios, such as Brighton Electric, which houses two high-end studios and a live music space which has worked with bands such as The Cure, Royal Blood and Foals, and Small Pond Studios, equipped with Neve console amps and analogue outboard gear, giving you further access to world class equipment and expertise, alongside local networking and work experience opportunities.
Recording and Rehearsing
In Sheffield, you’ll benefit from free bookable access to recording and rehearsal facilities and access to different Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) such as Pro Tools, Ableton, and Logic Pro. Whether you want to record and produce music professionally or simply want to make better demos, knowing how to create great-sounding is essential. Within our Gatecrasher building, our recording studio is equipped with state of the art recording facilities including a mixing desk and live room. You’ll also have access to partner studios across the city including Spring Tank Studios, Tecna Studios, where Self Esteem and Reverend and the Makers have recorded, Hybrid3 with custom-built equipment, and MU Studios, which has worked with Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley. These partnerships give you access to world-class equipment and expertise, as well as local networking and work experience opportunities.
Live Performance and Songwriting Spaces
Our songwriting and performance spaces have been designed as multi-functional, creative spaces tailor-made to support high-quality musical output. Think masterclasses, performance workshops, and loads of specialist activities for songwriters, vocalists, artists, and bands. You’ll be able to showcase your music while building confidence in these supportive, creative environments. The spaces are great for collaboration and impromptu lunchtime live performances.
What’s Happening
Life at WaterBear
See what life at WaterBear is like through the eyes of our students. This gallery is a collection of best moments submitted by our students both off and on campus.
