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ACE partners on business case for Midlands musical theatre centre

Arts Professional
2 min read

Arts Council England (ACE) is partnering with universities, local authorities and cultural organisations in Birmingham to commission a report on establishing the UK’s first National Centre for Musical Theatre in the West Midlands.

Together with Birmingham City Council, Birmingham City University/Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust and West Midlands Combined Authority, ACE will work to create a business case for a “world-leading” facility dedicated to musicals.

The five organisations will also collaborate with local, regional and national stakeholders to develop the proposal, which will include consultation with sector and regional partners.

Lichfields has been appointed to carry out the business case alongside a report on the project’s infrastructure and location.

The centre would aim to grow skills and training to fill a “national industry skills gap” while creating opportunities for young people from the region. It is hoped that it could support a new generation of creatives and help West Midlands become a hub region for R&D in the creative industries.

Darren Henley, chief executive of ACE, said: “The UK has a strong reputation for creating and producing musicals that delight audiences across the country and around the globe. Birmingham’s far-sighted plans for a new National Centre for Musical Theatre will help drive the growth of this important art form nationally and internationally, as well as offering the opportunity to nurture the next generation of creative talent in the West Midlands.”

Jon Gilchrist, artistic director and CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, added: “Our audience loves musical theatre, and of the 600,000 tickets we sell every year, more than half are for musicals.

“This partnership will work to harness the incredible creative talent of the West Midlands to make a genuine destination for the art form. We hope that one day soon our stages will be filled with the work of artistic talent developed here in Birmingham.”