I wasn't sure where to post this and searched the forum for a thread on leisure activities, and it seems we don't have such a thread sooo i thought i would make one:)

http://www.f1k.co.uk/west-midlands/

F1 Karting are opening an indoor go karting track 600m long with 40mph karts in Kings Norton on Lifford Lane this August:cheers:

Failed to opend the link, my friend.
I wasn't sure where to post this and searched the forum for a thread on leisure activities, and it seems we don't have such a thread sooo i thought i would make one:)

http://www.f1k.co.uk/west-midlands/

F1 Karting are opening an indoor go karting track 600m long with 40mph karts in Kings Norton on Lifford Lane this August:cheers:

works for me

Well as far as karting goes there's there's obviously Birmingham Wheels but there is also an indoor karting track in Digbeth which is pretty good.

There's also a good one at Junction 1 of the M5 near West Brom.

.:bowtie:

Wasn't too sure where to post this, thought this thread would fit it the most. Anyway abbey stadium in Redditch has been given full planning permission for a revamp including a swimming pool, to be completed in under 2 years

PLANNING approval for the re-development of the Abbey Stadium Leisure Centre has been secured.

The decision, made at a recent Redditch Council planning committee meeting, means that work on the £6.5 million project can finally get under way.

The re-development will include a six lane 25m swimming pool, a teaching pool, spectator gallery for 300 people, changing rooms, café facility plus a new glazed atrium reception area.

Welcoming the decision, council leader Carole Gandy said: “This is excellent news and means we can now proceed with our exciting plans.

“I thank the people of Redditch for their patience and I’m sure they won’t be disappointed when we open in the spring of 2012.”

Kevin Cook, the council’s project manager, added: “We will be appointing a construction company next month to carry out the work and after finalising our plans and expectations, the chosen company will begin building works in October.

“This will be concentrated on the first phase of the development, the pool itself.

“This new swimming pool plus additional improvements to Abbey Stadium will provide a new standard of facilities to the borough.

“It will enhance the leisure on offer and hopefully encourage even more residents to take advantage of the first class sporting facilities on their doorstep.”

As part of the re-development significant refurbishment work on the existing facility will also be undertaken.

This will include a fully equipped fitness suite, new changing facilities and upgrades to the existing sports hall while the exterior of the current Abbey Stadium will be re-faced.

Julian Record, from Drivers Jonas Deloitte, the project management team, said: "Having spent seven years considering refurbishment and re-development options for Abbey Stadium, the council appointed us to devise a workable solution in September 2009.

“We are delighted to have not only swiftly achieved this but also moved the project forward with planning permission and a clear timeline for delivery in under two years.”

http://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/8235069.Planning_approval_secured_for_Abbey_Stadium_revamp/

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St Modwen has gained planning permission for a Casino, hotel and office development on their site at Birchley Island, Oldbury. Construction to start this SUMMER

Also a Mecca Bingo club is due to open in Kingstanding.

Birmingham-based St Modwen has received planning approval for a £15m casino, hotel and office development in Oldbury. The developer said the scheme will act as the catalyst for the creation of 120 jobs at the casino alone.

Situated off the Birchley Island roundabout, the development is set to span more than 2.5 acres of land and include a 24,000 sq ft casino and entertainment complex.

An 80-bed hotel and 5,382 sq ft of office space across two linked two-storey office buildings has also been approved for the site.

Ian Romano, senior development surveyor for St Modwen, said: “We have been working closely with Grosvenor Casinos and Sandwell Council to create a landmark building for the Birchley Island site which will help boost the local economy and deliver a vibrant destination at the gateway to Oldbury.

“We believe that this development will stimulate further regeneration on the site which will attract further inward investment benefiting both the immediate location and the wider region. Furthermore, in addition to the employment opportunities created by the new facilities on the completed development, jobs will also be created in construction and other related industries throughout the construction period.”

Construction is expected to commence on site this summer.
http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/48283-15m-casino-scheme-green-lighted/


Casino and bingo group Rank today announced plans to spend millions of pounds in the West Midlands driven by a surge in customer numbers.

Rank said it planned to invest £11.8 million in the region this year, including a £15m casino in Oldbury and a new-look Mecca Bingo Club in Kingstanding..........
Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/business/midlands-business/2011/02/25/west-midlands-to-get-11m-bingo-boost/#ixzz1FNcaaQof

How do they get 11.8mil for the casino and bingo hall when the casino costs 15mil alone? :lol:

Plans to link West Midland Safari Park and Severn Valley Railway revealed
by Kat Baldwyn, Birmingham Mail
May 26 2011

A RAILWAY station could be built at West Midland Safari Park as part of ambitious plans to create a link with the Severn Valley Railway.

The safari park is working on a project to create a four star hotel, conference centre for 1,000 delegates and water park.

It is hoped the new facilities will encourage visitors to spend more time in the area, visit the other attractions and local towns.

A spokeswoman for the Safari Park said that as part of those plans it seemed a “logical step” to suggest a potential linking with its Severn Valley Railway neighbours.

She added: “It is envisaged that in future, rail visitors would arrive at the park via a new Safari Park station and be transferred by a modern monorail through the animal reserves to the hotel and conference centre.

“This would fully utilise the connection between the main line and both attractions, at the same time as making an effort to reduce the escalation in the number of private cars on the road.

“The entire project is enormously exciting for the area; everyone involved so far has given it their full support and have been with us every step of the way. It is still early days and there is a very long way to go, but all concerned are moving in the right direction with a sole aim to provide a world-class regeneration project for the Wyre Forest region that is long overdue.”

Although discussions are still in the very early stages, heritage railway bosses have called the idea a “win-win situation”.

David Mee, visitor services manager at SVR, said: “West Midland Safari Park is keen on the idea and we are not against it.

“It would get more people on our trains so it would be a win-win situation.

“But there have only been chats at the moment, it is very informal, no official plans have been drawn up and there are a number of issues to consider. It sounds easy to stop trains outside the safari park but the reality is very different. The amount of infrastructure that has to go into building a station needs to be thought about and there would be a significant cost.”


Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/05/26/plans-to-link-west-midland-safari-park-and-severn-valley-railway-revealed-97319-28765310/#ixzz1Na6RRdDG

The popular 888poker Super Stack Series that was previously just a London-based event is going further afield. The affordable event (£165) boasts a 20,000 starting stack and regularly exceeds a £20,000 prize pool. There will now be 888poker Super Stack Series events in Birmingham, Australia, and Riga, Latvia.

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http://www.pokernews.com/news/2011/06/888poker-superstack-series-expands-to-birmingham-melbourne-10514.htm

Visitor numbers rocket at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
by Brett Gibbons, Birmingham Mail
Aug 19 2011

THE number of people visiting Birmingham’s Museum and Art Gallery has rocketed by 85,000 – grouping it with the Tate Modern and the British Museum as one of the country’s top free tourist attractions.

VisitEngland, the official body for tourism in the country, revealed that the city’s museum and art gallery welcomed 729,231 visitors in 2010 – up from 645,000 (13.2 per cent) on the previous year – placing it 19th in the top 20 free places to visit.

Earlier this year it was revealed that some city museums were introducing admission charges, but councillors have promised that the main museum and art gallery would remain free.

Sandwell Valley in the Black Country was the second most visited free attraction in the West Midlands with more than 400,000 people attending the country park.

The annual attractions report, based on a survey of 1,802 England attractions that provided visitor figures for 2009 and 2010, showed an average increase of three per cent nationwide, mainly driven by destinations offering free admission.

However, overall visitors to West Midlands attractions rose by just two per cent.

Birmingham councillor Martin Mullaney, head of leisure, sport and culture, said: “Birmingham’s museums are some of the finest in country and this report proves how popular they are.

“With around half the visitors coming from outside the city, our museums and galleries contribute enormously to the visitor economy.”

Tim Manson, operations & policy director at Marketing Birmingham, said: “The economic climate has resulted in more people seeking out free or low cost entertainment opportunities closer to home.

“Birmingham attracts a diverse mix of visitors and offers leisure opportunities to suit all tastes and budgets – from free museums and art galleries to larger attractions, the city caters for a vast array of local, national and international visitors.

‘‘We are continually working with our partners to raise awareness of the city’s offering to visitors.”

Charges were recently introduced at a selection of community museum sites linked to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery as the authority struggled to find ways of cutting the annual £6.78 million running costs.

Adult visitors to Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, Soho House and the ruined Weoley Castle manor house were hit with a £4 a head charge, while visitors to Sarehole Mill must pay £3.

A £4 charge was introduced for the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in January.


Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2011/08/19/brum-museum-and-art-gallery-numbers-rocket-97319-29262874/#ixzz1VTVi3kpx

Aston Manor transport museum to close as council rejects offer to buy building


by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Post Aug 25 2011

Aston Manor Road Transport MuseumBirmingham’s historic road transport museum looks set to close at the end of the year after failing in its bid to buy its Victorian tram shed home from the council.

The Aston Manor Road Transport Museum offered £350,000 to buy the grade II-listed building but the offer has been rejected amid complex disagreements over the valuation, potential lease arrangements and issues over unpaid rent.

Now the museum’s chairman Geoff Lusher says they have little option but to shut up shop and will probably have to sell off the collection of buses and transport memorabilia.

He has also accused the council of failing to value its heritage after being presented with detailed accounts which took no notice of the museum’s heritage contribution to the city, such as its ability to attract 10,000 visitors a year, and its close links with community groups in Aston.

Mr Lusher said: “I am disappointed our cultural and social contribution to the city and impact on the local economy was not recognised.

“Their idea of heritage is something which can only be measured in pounds.

‘‘Aston is a deprived community which we engage with through open days, links with Aston Hall, the parish church and local mosque.”

He said there was only a slim chance of relocation, especially as the historic tram shed setting is a major asset to the council.

And he warned that in rejecting the £350,000 offer the council will also be picking up the costs of maintaining a protected historic tram depot – something the museum has done since it opened in 1992.

The museum had been based in the depot, in Witton Lane opposite Villa Park, rent free, under a subsidy from the council’s museums department. But the subsidy ended two years ago and the council’s property division is demanding £43,000 a year rent.

Initially the council offered the building to the museum for £900,000, even though an independent professional valuation said that the building is worth about £250,000.

A fund-raising campaign launched in March has so far received more than £110,000 in pledges. The museum had hoped to boost this with donations from charitable trust funds such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, once a purchase price had been agreed.

The council said it was with sadness that it accepted the museum would have to close.

It said it had spent £650,000 funding the museum over the last 15 years, but would not pursue outstanding rent owed on the building.

City finance chief Coun Randal Brew (Con Northfield) said: “Despite giving the trustees every chance to come up with a sustainable long-term business plan, including several extensions to previous deadlines, they unfortunately have been unable to do so.

“It is the council’s duty to provide best value to the taxpayer.”


Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2011/08/25/aston-manor-transport-museum-set-to-close-as-council-rejects-bid-65233-29296550/#ixzz1W4Xz3xo3

bad news this is, i've been her loads of times as its close to where my mum lives and it is a nice day out. at open days loads of people are here and old buses transport them to another museum.

Hundreds of art fans flock to see Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail Feb 16 2012

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/birmmail/feb2012/8/8/crowds-outside-the-leonardo-da-vinci-exhibition-at-birmingham-museum-and-art-gallery-227032925.jpg
Crowds outside the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

IT’S a scene not witnessed since the Staffordshire Hoard first went on public display.

Nearly 1,000 people are flocking to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery every day to see the blockbuster Ten Drawings exhibition featuring the work Leonardo da Vinci.

More than 31,500 visitors have seen the once-in-a-lifetime show since it opened on January 13 and the public’s appetite for the master shows no sign of slowing.

The exhibition’s busiest day so far was Monday when 1,384 people visited, the highest attendance at the gallery since the Staffordshire Hoard was first on display in 2009.

The drawings are taken from the Royal Collection and are on tour to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Coun Martin Mullaney said: “I am delighted by the huge public response to this magnificent show at Birmingham’s world class Museum and Art Gallery.

“This exhibition, which marks the start of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, is further evidence of the city’s reputation for attracting high profile exhibitions that will bring both local people and visitors to the city.”

The drawings illustrate the scope of Leonardo’s interests which spanned painting and sculpture, engineering, botany, mapmaking, hydraulics and anatomy.

One of the main attractions is The Head of Leda. The work, which is based on Greek mythology, was a preparatory drawing for the painting Leda and the Swan which was destroyed around 1700.

The Royal Collection contains a group of around 600 drawings by Da Vinci, which are preserved in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle.

The exhibition runs at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until March 25 and admission to the show is free.

More information about the venue is available by going to www.bmag.org.uk.



Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/02/16/hundreds-of-art-fans-flock-to-see-leonardo-da-vinci-exhibition-at-birmingham-museum-and-art-gallery-97319-30339489/#ixzz1mXtC0ikh

Thanks for your reply.http://www.lzxin.info/g.php

Thought this was worth a post
Wrestling returns to Birmingham in Ballroom blitz show featuring city's UK champion Carnage
by Brett Gibbons, Birmingham MailFeb 18 2012Add a comment Recommend

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STAND by grapple fans – for grunt ‘n’ groan wrestling is returning to Birmingham in a ballroom blitz.

In its heyday in the 1960s and 70s, millions of fight fans tuned in on Saturday afternoons to watch ITV’s World of Sport’s professional wrestling, commentated on by Kent Walton, who coined the famous “grapple fans” greeting catchphrase.

Headline names included Birmingham’s own Pat Roach, who later found fame as an actor and starred in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Mick McManus, Giant Haystacks, Jackie Pallo and Big Daddy.


Venues like Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham Town Hall and West Bromwich’s Gala Baths were regularly sold out as the TV stars brought the wrestling circus to a live audience.

Now the spectacle is making a return to the city next Friday at The Ballroom in Dale End with the Midlands-based Alternative Wrestling World show at the recently-opened venue, which was formerly known as The Hummingbird or Carling Academy.

Reigning British champion, Birmingham-born Carnage, will be defending his title against Oxford’s James Mason.

There will also be a tag-team bout between The Hunter Brothers and The Dunne Brothers.

Also scheduled to appear are top UK wrestling stars ‘Wonderkid‘ Jonny Storm, ‘Tomcat’ Kevin O’Neil, ‘Assassin’ Dave Williams and ‘White Lightning’ Mark Andrews.

Thousands of fans used to flock to live bouts at venues across the city, but the popularity of events waned when the sport was taken off television in 1988.

But it is making a comeback following the success of the outrageous stage-managed American spectaculars broadcast on satellite channels.

Promoter Kevin O’Neil, who also fights under the Tomcat nickname, is hoping his Ballroom Blitz show will be a knockout for a new generation of wrestling fans.

He said: “This is a great chance for fans to see today’s top stars. The West Midlands was a hotbed of wrestling and it seems fans are keen for it to make a comeback.”

Tickets cost £8 and are available from The Ballroom box office or on 0121 320 2820.



Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/02/18/wrestling-returns-to-birmingham-in-ballroom-blitz-show-featuring-city-s-uk-champion-carnage-97319-30353463/#ixzz1mjDyyMty

Temporary mini-golf course to be installed at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham
by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail Mar 6 2012

A portable mini 18 hole golf course is to be set up in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham.

The course will be open to the public throughout the summer and, if it is successful, Green Space Leisure will submit plans to the council to install a permanent course.

Jay Wheatley, from the company, said the course, which will be on the site of the original crazy golf course which closed in 1995, will open on March 31 and go on until the beginning of September

Mr Wheatley said: “We did not feel that the golf that was in Cannon Hill Park was up to scratch. It needed huge investment which we are willing to put into it.

“Cannon Hill Park is Birmingham’s premier park and the council is very keen to get people playing golf.

“If it is a success, we will submit plans to have a bespoke mini golf course with water features.”

Prices start from £3 per child and £3.50 per adult.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/03/06/temporary-mini-golf-course-to-be-installed-at-cannon-hill-park-birmingham-97319-30466764/#ixzz1oMonw1ki

72,000 visit Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Mar 25 2012

More than 72,000 visitors have seen the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci in an exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

BMAG had only expected around 20,000 to attend the exhibition, which ends today (Sunday), after it was loaned to the city by the Queen from her Royal Collection to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

More than a thousand people a day packed out the art gallery to see the ten drawings selected to show the scope of Leonardo’s interests – painting and sculpture, engineering, botany, mapmaking, hydraulics and anatomy.


It also showcased his use of different media – pen and ink, red and black chalks and metalpoint.

Simon Cane, head of BMAG operations, said existing “robust” security measures were maintained for the exhibition.

He said: “Birmingham is an internationally-known and renowned gallery. The exhibition is what the people of Birmingham deserve – a chance to see works like this in their own city.”


UB40’s Brian Travers was in the queue of people who lined the museum’s corridors at the start of the collection’s national tour.

The saxophonist, who attended Moseley Road Art School, said: “I feel incredibly privileged to be here. When I was a little boy I tried to copy these drawings, you could see the lines and there was no trickery in there.

“Of course you were always disappointed when you looked at your own drawings compared to these.

“Getting this collection is fantastic, it’s a great coup for the city.”


Pauline Ruocco, aged 70, was one of the very first art gallery visitors to see the drawings.

The retired nurse, from Selly Oak, said: “I’ve always loved Leonardo Da Vinci.

“He was such a talented man – he seemed to see the future.”

When the Staffordshire Hoard of gold and jewels opened at the museum on September 25, 2009, it attracted 7,500 visitors in the first two days and some 10,000 people had seen it by the end of the first weekend.



Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/03/25/72-000-visit-leonardo-da-vinci-exhibition-at-birmingham-museum-and-art-gallery-65233-30620311/#ixzz1q9e6TNuS

That's really positive news.

The pictures were good, although small you could really appreciate the detail given the tools that he would've had.

I wonder which exhibition will come next.

Children's lives- photographic I think. Old pics of poor kids etc

More posative news news for the BMAG exhibition



Da Vinci exhibition brings in £2m tourism to Birmingham
by Paul Suart, Birmingham MailMar 29 2012


AN EXHIBITION of drawings by Leonardo Da Vinci is thought to have generated more than £2million for Birmingham’s economy.

More than 75,000 visitors flocked to the city’s Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) when 11 pieces by the revered master were on display in the city for the first time in more than a decade.

Simon Cane, head of operations at BMAG, said the 73-day exhibition, which ended last Sunday, had been the most successful show of its size at the museum.

He said: “Typically people spend about £30 per visit on meals, parking and other expenses, so the exhibition has to have been worth around £2million to the city.


“We had high hopes but it exceeded even those.

“For a show of its size, it was the most successful we have had.


“It’s up there with the Staffordshire Hoard in terms of popularity.

“It’s a fantastic boost and might well encourage visitors to come back to Birmingham.”

The pieces are usually stored privately but were made available from The Queen’s Royal Collection, which boasts the world’s largest collection of Da Vinci drawings, as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The collection will now visit other parts of Britain before returning to the capital later this year.

Mr Cane said the decision to bring the exhibition to Birmingham first reaffirmed its status as the country’s Second City.

“It was appropriate England’s Second City was the first venue for the show outside of London,” he said.

The collection charted the story of Da Vinci as an artist and as a person exploring his attributes as a ‘polymath who was always full of ideas and a great inventor’, Mr Cane said.

No other works are expected to be released from the Royal Collection this year but Buckingham Palace was believed to have been very impressed with this show in Birmingham.

Mr Cane said: “They were delighted with the response and the way it was managed.

“We sold out of catalogues on the first weekend because everyone wanted a souvenir.”




Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/03/29/da-vinci-exhibition-brings-in-2m-tourism-to-birmingham-97319-30647748/#ixzz1qUKcr5jJ

Great to see Dudley Zoo performing well with more work in the pipeline...

Visitor numbers surge by 22pc at Dudley Zoo
Monday 2nd April 2012, 7:00PM BST.



Dudley Zoo has had a 22 per cent increase in visitors flocking to the Midland attraction in the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago, it was revealed today.

Chief executive Peter Suddock said he was delighted with the new figures as the tourist destination celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

He says new attractions such as two new tigers, Tschuna and Daseep, have helped bring in the crowds.

This year’s quarterly figures stand at 23,020 compared to 18,880 visitors for the same period in 2011. “Given the current economic climate this is fantastic news,” Mr

Suddock said today. “The figures are good across the past three months, not just the last few warm days, which we believe is due to an increased presence on our website and daily news update, plus the arrival of two highly endangered tigers which created massive interest.”

The 75th anniversary plans include the opening of a new attraction called Penguin Bay. The walkthrough enclosure will offer visitors the chance to get close to the zoo’s 70-strong group of rare Humboldt penguins – the largest colony in the UK. It is due to launch on May 6, the date the zoo opened to the public in 1937.

The two tigers Tschuna and Daseep, transferred in February from Wuppertal Zoo, in Germany, and have already become visitors’ favourites.

Work has been carried out to the zoo’s big cat enclosure to create an eye-level glass viewing area at the iconic triple Tecton complex.

Also on the list is the restoration of the 1958 chairlift – one of the oldest in the country. Work will begin in May with midsummer completion and offer visitors a view from the air of some of the rarest animals in the world.

Mr Suddock added: “It’s going to be a brilliant year – not only is it our 75th anniversary, we’ll also be finalising plans for the new entrance, retail complex and Tecton interpretation centre, there are wonderful additions to the animal collection and, of course, the chairlift will be restored, so there’s a lot to celebrate.”

The Tectons were made using pre-stressed concrete, and architects were able to mould it to create attractive enclosures to fit in with the surrounding landscape and the steepness of the Castle Hill site.

However, time has taken its toll on the structures and now repairs are needed to help the zoo continue to use some of the buildings.
Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/04/02/visitor-numbers-surge-by-22pc-at-dudley-zoo/#ixzz1r0ayTfcP

This looks brilliant!, Indoor climbing or "bouldering" centre in the arches by the railway bridge

Application Details
Application Number 2012/02044/PA
Application Type Full Planning
Site Address 30/31 Water Street Snow Hill Birmingham B3 1HL
Proposal Change of use from Commercial (Sui Generis) to (use class D2) Leisure for the purposes of an indoor climbing centre

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/Generic/StdDetails.aspx?PT=Planning%20Applications%20On-Line&TYPE=PL/PlanningPK.xml&PARAM0=563374&XSLT=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/BirminghamNew/xslt/PL/PLDetails.xslt&FT=Planning%20Application%20Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/SiteFiles/Skins/BirminghamNew/Menus/PL.xml&DAURI=PLANNING

1.7 million visitors to Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) since renovation
by Ben Hurst, Birmingham PostMay 17 2012
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/birmpost/may2011/4/1/mac-birmingham-in-cannon-hill-park-118976070.jpg
Mac Birmingham, in Cannon Hill Park

Birmingham’s Mac arts centre has attracted more than 1.7 million visitors since it reopened in 2010 following a £15 million renovation.

Now the centre, based in Edgbaston’s Cannon Hill Park, is hoping to build on that success with events taking place this summer during the Cultural Olympiad.

The rebuild saw the centre closed for two years while new performance studios, a gallery, conference rooms and enhanced public facilities were created.

Since it reopened its doors, events have included performances, courses, film screenings, exhibitions and festivals – securing its position as the most popular arts centre in the Midlands.

Dorothy Wilson MBE, Chief Executive and Artistic Director said: “We are delighted that so many people from the local area and far beyond are visiting Mac Birmingham. We like to think that our offer is unique – genuinely open to all and providing access to high quality arts experiences which are reasonably priced.

“Our attendance figures, which are growing year on year, are a fantastic endorsement and show that the public clearly support and enjoy what we’re doing.

“The building project has helped us to reach out to more visitors than ever before and the last two years have played an exciting part in Mac Birmingham’s 50 year legacy.”

The extensive refurbishment has allowed the centre to provide more support for regional and local artists. More than 1,000 artists and companies used facilities at the Mac’s studio spaces.

Last year, the arts centre won two awards from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors for ‘Project of the Year’ for the building project and outstanding ‘Community Benefit’, and was a runner up in the National Lottery Awards, again for the building project.

The Mac is planning to attract brand new audiences this summer by playing a role in the London 2012 Festival, hosting the UK premiere of internationally renowned composer Heiner Goebbels’ Walden on June 23.

A one day music festival with One Beat Sunday on July 22, celebrates Birmingham’s musical talent, bringing together bands from across the city in the outdoor arena.

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2012/05/17/1-7-million-visitors-to-midlands-arts-centre-mac-since-15m-renovation-65233-30985383/#ixzz1vFCkVpM8