Volunteers enlist to keep arts centre open

Bromsgrove's Artrix venue will remain open for the rest of the year with the help of volunteers after initially reopening to stage performances for a theatre affected by issues with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Bromsgrove Community Arts, a charity formed in October to stage shows at the Artrix that could not be performed at Solihull's Core Theatre, had initially intended to run the venue until March.

But it says around 200 people have expressed an interest in helping and now plans to keep the venue running until December and possibly beyond.

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The Artrix centre had been closed since March 2020 with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic tipping the charity that ran it into insolvency.

"We are really pleased to see the Artrix will be open for the rest of 2024 and hopefully on into the future," Kyle Daisley, Chair of Bromsgrove Community Arts, told the BBC.

"It's absolutely fantastic and it's exactly what Bromsgrove needs," he said.

"And I'd just like to say a big thank you to all of the volunteers who have come forward and supported both behind the bar and also front of house during the time that the Core have been here."

Daisley said the Artrix will be a place for community groups and individuals to hire and will be a "completely voluntary-led facility".

"We are going to be seeing a lot of tribute acts and a lot of performances where they have not been able to use other facilities. It's fantastic and also offers something for families in Bromsgrove," he said.