It’s been a long time coming — Black and other racialized students finally have a neighbourhood studio to call their own in the GTA.

Centennial College is hosting a grand opening event at its new Performing Arts Centre near its Eglinton campus in Scarborough on March 30, offering a space for diverse students to hone their skills as they look to become arts entrepreneurs.

The $5.9 million, 18,000-square-foot arts centre includes four studio spaces, a dance/theatre/classroom flex space, a high-tech music lab, nine ensemble and individual music rehearsal rooms, and a "black box" theatre performance space, a school representative told Black Dollar Magazine.

Celestine Eagle, co-ordinator of the dance performance program at Centennial College, also said having a permanent space for its programs will be a game changer.

“I spoke with three students just yesterday and they were telling me that there are not many dance studios in Scarborough, not many places where students can learn to play music,” Eagle said. “For students of colour especially, where at Centennial we have a lot of multicultural and international students, they will have a home where they feel safe, included, and that they’re a part of.”

The school will look to maximize the space and partner with organizations to welcome the community to use it too.

“We are our own individual business. We have to find work and it’s not just going to knock on your door. So, we’ll also be teaching students how to get out there and promote themselves. I think we will have a huge community impact,” Eagle said.