The doors to the recording studios at The Leeds Media Centre were finally reopened on the 6th of August 2010 to the sound of 'Jubilate Deo", a music production performed by Holy Rosary & St Anne's School, Chapeltown.
And how fitting it was as our very first recorded piece since taking over the management of the Studios.
Whilst the past few months have been filled with challenges, they have by no means softened our excitement about taking over the management of the studios.
And not just excitement but also our sense of responsibility because although we have managed to visually transform the centre's studios, and upgrade its facilities, we acknowledge that this privilege came to us because many people lobbied to establish this building in the community in the first place.
We have reaped where others have sown, and much is owed to the visionary leadership within the Chapeltown community. We owe special mention to people like Junior Wilocks, Walter Watson, and Barkley McKay, who over the years have sacrificed much of their time and energy in keeping the studios to industry standard. They left us a good inheritance.
There is history in this building, and indeed many sentiments and passions attached to it from a people with a unique sense of unity in the community. It was clear to me since taking over management that it would be wrong to run the centre's studios as a purely commercial venture.
'Meeting the needs of this closely knit community'
A balance needed to be met between running a successful business and meeting the needs of this closely knit community.
I'm not much of a political person but if our prime minister David Cameron is serious about supporting the handover of the running of local institutions to the people within the community as part of his vision of a 'Big Society', then this is it!
By bringing back key people in the community with a track record of excellence in service and delivery, we hope to transform the centre to a place of media excellence not just in Leeds and the UK but on the international stage.
And we aim on doing that by partnering with institutions such as Leeds City Council, Unity Housing, Jazz Yorkshire, the Arts Council, and Screen Yorkshire to produce the best in music and the visual arts.
'The world belongs to dreamers' is a motto I've always stood by, but I now feel particularly privileged to be a part of that dream making process for what I hope will be many individuals and organisations that will walk through the doors of Savile Studios.
We are all excited and I believe this is the start of something very special and grand in Leeds.
Guest blogger Isi Abebe is managing director at Savile Studios, The Leeds Media Centre, 21 Savile Mount, Chapeltown.
