Birmingham in step for major £5m ‘dance hub’
AMAJOR new centre celebrating all forms of dance is to be developed in Birmingham with £5 million of Arts Council cash.
The new Birmingham Dance Hub will be created at the city’s Hippodrome theatre and include a large studio complex.
A total of £3 million will be invested over the next three years into the development of new space for artists and organisations, with the remaining £2 million supporting outreach work in the wider city.
The money was originally proposed by former Chancellor George Osborne in his 2015 Autumn Statement.
The base will be led by the Birmingham Dance Hub partnership – made up of Birmingham Royal Ballet, DanceXchange, the Hippodrome, the Mac, Birmingham City University and ACE Dance and Music.
A director to lead the project will be appointed in the next few weeks.
The vision for the new facility is one of a shared space for dance organisations and the public.
The hub partnership will deliver classes, school projects, and talent development programmes celebrating the city’s diversity and including a range of dance forms from ballet, contemporary and hip hop, to South Asian and African.
Peter Knott, area director for Arts Council England, said: “As the nation’s developer of arts and culture, we want to invest in bold schemes.
“The Birmingham Dance Hub promises to be just that, enticing audiences and enhancing the city’s reputation.
“When artists and creatives think of a great place to locate their practice, we want them to recognise Birmingham and the wider city region as the place to choose.
“We are proud to support the dance hub and we will continue to work with the wider partnership to develop these exciting and ambitious plans.”
Dorothy Wilson, chairman of development agency Culture Central, added: “This is exciting news and the dance hub has the potential to be an extraordinary place that will make dance central to people’s lives in Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond.
“Although there is still much to do to move this dream to reality, the partnership can now begin to unlock a wealth of new opportunities, building on the city’s rich artistic and cultural reputation.”