Sponsored by: Islamic Help Symphony Hall revamp
Easing the burden of winter
An impression of the new Symphony Hall foyer
A design team has been appointed to lead a £12m project to transform the foyer at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. Town Hall-Symphony Hall have
appointed of Page\Park Architects to lead the proposed development, opening the building on to a regenerated Centenary Square and reinforcing Symphony Hall’s place in Birmingham city life. The iconic Symphony Hall is
home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and also plays host to world-class performers in jazz, world music, folk, pop, rock and stand-up comedy. Nick Reed, chief executive officer
for Town Hall Symphony Hall, said: “This project will finally give Symphony Hall the foyers and public spaces to match its world class auditorium. “Boasting a much improved
audience experience and a dedicated entrance, this permeable space will be energised with new artistic adventures, creating a sustainable future for Symphony
‘This project will finally give Symphony Hall the foyers and public spaces to match its world class auditorium’
Hall, and developing an audience that looks like the city it serves: young, diverse and creative. “Page\Park have presented some
inspiring ideas on how the building can help achieve our objectives and we look forward to now working with them to develop the design. “We are very grateful for the early
encouragement offered by both the GBSLEP Local Growth Fund and the Arts Council of England and we are now preparing final funding bids with both bodies.” David Page, head of architecture
at Page/Park Architects, said: “Birmingham’s Centenary Square is being transformed into a remarkable heart of the city with its assembly of important civic cultural buildings.
“The new Symphony Hall
frontage will provide a multi- levelled balcony to that new setting and Page\Park are delighted to be able to shape that contribution.” The project is conditionally
supported through the Local Growth Fund by the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. Roger Mendonca, director of the
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), said: “GBSLEP’s contribution to the Symphony Hall is part of our commitment to sustaining the region’s cultural and tourism offer, coming hot on the heels of Birmingham’s 2022 Commonwealth Games prize and nearby Coventry’s 2021 City of Culture win. “By supporting the venue’s
extension, we are ensuring that the Symphony Hall transforms its commercial offer, generates new jobs and enhances the experience of its many visitors.”
Electronic legends set for festival
German synth legends Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk are the main attractions at the fifth Birmingham electronic music festival in March. Representing the former is Ulrich Schnauss
(pictured), who is a modern-day member of the long-running electro pioneers. The Tangs are best known for ground- breaking albums such as ‘Phaedra’ and ‘Rubycon’ in the 1970s, but their roots go all the way back to the 1960s, when they were founded by Edgar Froese, who sadly died three years ago. From Kraftwerk is Wolfgang Flur, one of
the group’s original members. Kraftwerk were initially part of the krautrock scene in the 1970s, but are known mostly for their massive commercial hits
of the 1970s, such as ‘Autobahn’, ‘Trans Europe Express’ and ‘The Man Machine’. As well as these giants of the synth world, the three day Seventh Wave Festival of Electronic Music will feature an all-day free electronic music event featuring talks, demonstrations, interactive sessions, synth manufacturer attendance, a room for attendees to set up and show off their synth gear and a number of free live performances. Tickets can be purchased for the individual paid events from Skiddle:
www.skiddle.com/groups/theseventhwave/ for the free day-long event (10 March), which runs from 10.00 am until 5.00 pm, people can just turn up.
Winter is when the vulnerable are most at risk. Lack of heating, risk of illness and scarcity of food can leave them struggling to survive at this time of year. Every year, Islamic Help
delivers winter aid to those most in need in the UK and overseas. At the forefront of this is helping our neighbours in Balsall Heath, where our headquarters are based. It’s part of living up to the adage that charity begins at home. This winter, we provided 60
food hampers which were distributed by our staff and volunteers to the poorest and most ‘at risk’ households in Balsall Heath. The beneficiaries were selected on needs criteria and included pensioners, the disabled, vulnerable and elderly residents living alone. As well as the UK, our
teams around the world distribute emergency aid tailored for the winter season to hundreds of thousands of people in some of the poorest and most deprived regions. They range from orphan and
poverty-stricken families to refugees who have fled their homes with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. The aid includes food, blankets, shelter, clothing and medicines. A common theme is that
many of these beneficiaries feel they have no one they can depend on at this most critical time of year. It’s something we’d like to dispel.
Find out more and support our winter emergency appeal. Call 0121 446 5682 or see
www.islamichelp.org.uk
February 2018 CHAMBERLINK 23
Business News
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