BCU backs “exciting proposition” for new National Centre for Musical Theatre

UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 15 OCTOBER

BCU is part of a consortium that will make a case for the UK's first National Centre for Musical Theatre in the West Midlands, aiming to stimulate economic growth and provide new employment opportunities for young people.

Arts Council England, Birmingham City Council, BCU / Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) have come together in partnership to create a business case for the National Centre for Musical Theatre.

The five partners will work with local, regional and national stakeholders to develop the proposal, which will be informed by a period of consultation with sector and regional partners, as well as examples of international excellence in this field. 

Birmingham Hippodrome recently set up the UK’s first venue-based department for New Musical Theatre, committed to creating opportunities for musical theatre talent from the across the UK. Acting at BCU is one of the UK’s highest ranked courses, and this collaboration could result in a dedicated musical theatre course.

Birmingham, as one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, could build an international creative ecology around this art form. This will stimulate economic growth, provide new employment opportunities for young people from all backgrounds, and help cement the UK’s position as a leader in a thriving international musical theatre market.

Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba said: “BCU was founded in 1843, when the Birmingham Society of Artists opened the Birmingham Government School of Design. From that foundation, BCU now provides the greatest number of creative industry graduates in the West Midlands.

“On this basis, it’s natural that we would back the exciting proposition of a National Centre for Musical Theatre, bringing a storied artform into the region with an eye on the future.

“Bringing musical theatre education to Birmingham would mean nurturing even more creative talent within the West Midlands, helping the region meet the industry’s skills gap and, in turn, harnessing the arts to power the region back towards prosperity. By bringing together the educational excellence of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with the reputation of the Hippodrome, and the support of the Arts Council, City Council and WMCA, we can make Midlands musical theatre into a force that will command attention nationally and internationally.”

Arts Council England Chief Executive Darren Henley 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.” 

Lichfields have been appointed to carry out the business case, alongside a report looking at the infrastructure and location of the project. The aim is to create world-leading musical theatre facilities, supporting a new generation of creatives and the desire for the West Midlands to become a region renowned for research and development in the creative industries.

Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair Richard Parker said: “Musical innovation is in the DNA of the West Midlands. From pioneering heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath to the multi-cultural Two Tone movement, our impact on music has been global. Even our greatest TV export, Peaky Blinders, is now a stage musical, so I can't think of a better place to have a National Centre for Musical Theatre.”

Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham Hippodrome Jon Gilchrist said: “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.”

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