Birmingham Hippodrome: City’s cultural epicentre

THE BIG City Plan and the redevelopment of New Street Station are about to catapult Birmingham Hippodrome into an even more central role in the city’s cultural make-up.

Chief executive Stuart Griffiths has laid out his plans to make the theatre a resource for other cultural enterprises to use just as the physical environment around the venue starts to change dramatically.

It’s the Hippodrome’s role as a ‘cultural enterprise’ sitting firmly at the heart of the region’s cultural economy that Griffiths wants to develop as he enters his tenth year as chief executive.

The most tangible evidence of this was given a boost in November when proposals for a Southside Business Improvement District were approved by local businesses, who will see their rates increased in return for more control over how that money is spent in the District. The Hippodrome sits alongside the Chinese and Gay Quarters within the District, and Mr Griffiths, as the BID chair was instrumental in getting the BID off the ground.

Now, locals and visitors can expect to see cleaner and more welcoming streets, but for Mr Griffiths, there’s an even bigger prize in sight for the district. He said: “The biggest difference is going to come from the redevelopment of New Street Station which will bring a big public entrance right bang on our doorstep. And the new Big City Plan talks about Hurst Street as ‘festival street’ and  about creating a more useful and much more interesting public realm outside the theatre.

“What the bid can do is ensure that we’re part of that debate; we’re engaged with the people who are making the decisions. It puts us in touch with planners, with city centre management, and with the other city centre Bids we’re a pretty powerful lobby.”

But Mr Griffiths’ ambitions for the Hippodrome go further even than that, with a vision for the theatre that redefines what it does beyond its physical bricks and mortar of a venue, and develops its role as a catalyst for culture and businesses across the city.

“How can we extend our reach? How can we engage with more people? Particularly not just through what we put on the main stage but how we might engage with more people more broadly.

“It’s about taking culture beyond our four walls, putting it in front of people on a Saturday afternoon when they’re out shopping and saying here’s something interesting to have a look a. And we’re not talking of jugglers and fire eaters here – we’re talking about high quality theatre.”

“It’s also about how we encourage more creative and cultural organisations to come to this part of the city and work in an environment where there is  a big theatre, a ballet company and a dance development agency already.”

This new positioning of the Hippodrome could even help to plug the gap being left by the abolishing of business support agencies such as Advantage West Midlands and Business Link, said Mr Griffiths.

“The problem with creative industries is you get a lot of people that pop up and disappear. Given the kind of cutbacks that we’ve got  in investment and support for SMEs there’s a real gap. If we can form some of those symbiotic relationships we might be able to replace what has disappeared over the last couple of years.

“We are lucky to have a lot of people here who are experts in their field and we have a lot of experience of working with AWM and other agencies. Those connections mean that we can help to progress some of those companies who might otherwise feel a little isolated.”

Neil Rami, chief executive of Marketing Birmingham, said: “The importance of a thriving cultural scene in Birmingham cannot be underestimated. The visitor economy now supports some 40,000 jobs across the city.

“The Hippodrome is at the heart of this scene. The theatre has played an invaluable part in cementing the city’s reputation as a must-visit destination on the cultural map both at home and abroad, bringing millions of visitors here every year. We are fortunate to have an organisation with such strong leadership and executive management.  I have every confidence that it’s exciting plans for the future will continue to add a great deal to the city’s fortunes.”