Funding granted to upgrade performance facilities
CBSO Centre, headquarters, rehearsal and small scale performance venue for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, will be undergoing a transformation in 2014. This follows the announcements by Arts Council England of a successful Stage 2 Capital Funding bid and the decision by the Garfield Weston Foundation to also support the project with a major grant.
Set in the heart of Birmingham’s cultural quarter, near Symphony Hall where the Orchestra is resident, the centre currently comprises of a 300-seat, fully flexible auditorium, plus office and rehearsal space.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that Arts Council England and Garfield Weston Foundation have awarded us a total sum of £1,473,000 to support our plans to upgrade and improve CBSO Centre, which is now an intrinsic part of the classical music scene in the Midlands” said Annmarie Wallis, CBSO director of finance.
CBSO Centre is the rehearsal venue for the Orchestra, its four choruses and Youth Orchestra. It also hosts intimate lunchtime performances and pre-school concerts as well as many other educational projects. Furthermore, it is home to Ex Cathedra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
Annmarie continued: “We are really fortunate; CBSO Centre is the only purpose built space in the UK to provide a permanent base for a symphony orchestra. It is the backdrop to all of our musical and community activities as well as many award-winning recordings, so it is important that it remains a cutting-edge facility.”
The planned development of CBSO Centre includes the upgrading of the performance facilities to encompass state-of-the-art acoustics, in addition to new seating and lighting, which will improve both the quality of our concerts and the rehearsal conditions. The public open space will also be transformed, offering a more welcoming, flexible and contemporary experience for all visitors and users.
In order to make the building more sustainable and environmentally sound, its core infrastructure will be upgraded. Digital capacity will also be improved to offer a better visitor and user experience for the future.
Stephen Maddock, CBSO chief executive said: “These are exciting times for CBSO Centre. This development, which we hope to have completed for the start of our 2014-15 season, will enable us to provide even better facilities, of which the City of Birmingham can be justly proud. Making these improvements now will put the CBSO in the best possible shape in the run up to our centenary in 2020.”
Philippa Charles, director of the Garfield Weston Foundation commented: “The Foundation is delighted to support the project to improve the building so that the facilities support the high quality of the Orchestra and its work.”
Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said: “This is really great news for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to have secured more than £1.2 million from Arts Council England enabling them to upgrade and improve their existing building. People rehearsing in the building will soon benefit from new seating, lighting and state-of-the-art acoustics.”
