Six-figure funding deal secured for project at The Exchange
The University of Birmingham has been awarded more than £170,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project focused on the history of the Birmingham Municipal Bank building, now known as The Exchange.
The project, titled ‘Unlocking the Vaults,’ will explore the bank’s archives, gather interviews with former customers and staff through community historian-led research and feature a community photography exhibition.
It will also investigate financial resilience and household saving in Birmingham, incorporating new research from the University of Birmingham.
Richard Sapcote, chair of The Birmingham Civic Society, said: “Every year the Birmingham Civic Society judging team review the applications to secure the Renaissance Award and sifts to a few to view. This time we toured five buildings where the owners have taken care of and retained an unloved property. The Exchange had that wow factor, the University of Birmingham had gone to extreme lengths in retaining historic features and truly invested in its long-term future. A deserved winner.”
Simon Cane, director of public and cultural engagement said: “When the University of Birmingham opened The Exchange in 2021, we knew that the history of the building was key to our mission to make it a new city centre hub connecting the research of the University to our diverse Birmingham community.
“From our regular building tours to just visiting the café for a cup of coffee, there are different ways that the people of Birmingham can see and connect to the beautiful history of this building, but thanks to this new funding we are now able to invite people to take part in Unlocking the Vaults, and get even further immersed in this vital part of our city’s story.”
