Work starts on £46m Birmingham Conservatoire

GLOBALLY renowned musician Julian Lloyd Webber swapped his cello for a shovel when he put the first spade in the ground on the development of the new home for Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.
 
Professor Lloyd Webber, the newly appointed Principal of the Birmingham Conservatoire, joined fellow university staff and partners to celebrate the start of building work at the site.   
 
The £46m project, the UK’s first new conservatoire in a generation, will open for teaching and performances in September 2017. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley studios, it will house a 400-seat auditorium, two additional performance spaces and a range of teaching facilities.
 
Located on Birmingham City University’s city centre campus, Conservatoire students will have ready access to media and production facilities, including one of the largest green screen studios in the UK.
 
Prof Lloyd Webber said: “The opportunities that lie ahead for Birmingham Conservatoire are limitless. We will have an exceptional new home for making music as well as access to the University’s facilities and multi-genre expertise, ensuring our students leave with all the skills they need for today’s music industry.”