Artrix

Artrix is an arts centre in Bromsgrove, England, located on School Drive just outside the town centre. The building was constructed between 2004 and 2005 on a green field site that had been sold off by the Heart of Worcestershire College Bromsgrove campus (formerly NEWcollege) in 1999, adjacent to the Bromsgrove 'Blue Light' centre. It operates as a multi-arts venue presenting theatre and dance performances, cinema screenings, live music including touring bands and solo artists, touring theatre, and both ballet and contemporary dance. Its programme also covers classical music and comedy, ranging from well-known performers to circuit comedians. Beyond its main programme, Artrix works with local groups and organisations as part of Bromsgrove Arts Alive, providing space for theatre performances, a pantomime, a classical music club, spoken word talks featuring playwrights, novelists, poets and historians, and productions by local dance schools. The venue also has an active learning and engagement department that coordinates projects including a youth theatre group and community projects for all ages and social backgrounds. The main auditorium seats approximately 301 people, and seating in both venues can be dismantled to create open spaces for events. Four multipurpose rooms are available for meetings and, during productions, as dressing rooms. A rehearsal room and dance studio on the second floor has, since 2013, been regularly used as a studio theatre alongside the main house for small-scale theatre, music and spoken word, with a seated capacity of 90. An art gallery spans the three floors of the venue. Both the main house and the studio are soundproofed and structurally unlinked within the building to eliminate sound conduction between them. There is a licensed cafe-bar on site. In 2018 the centre lost funding from Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council and Heart of Worcestershire College and began to struggle financially. At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, a series of large long-term contract hires came to an end, and the sudden halt to activities led to the charitable trust operating the centre running out of funds and entering voluntary liquidation. The assets were purchased by Bromsgrove District Council with the intention of examining options to reopen the venue once the situation improved. The venue was subsequently used as the COVID mass vaccination centre for Bromsgrove, and several groups are looking at options to reopen it.

Artrix was built between 2004 and 2005 on a green field site on School Drive, just outside Bromsgrove town centre. The land had been sold off in 1999 by the Heart of Worcestershire College Bromsgrove campus (formerly NEWcollege), and the site sits next to the Bromsgrove 'Blue Light' centre. From its opening, the venue was conceived as a multi-arts centre for the town, combining a main auditorium, studio spaces, an art gallery and a licensed cafe-bar. The main auditorium has a seating capacity of approximately 301, and seating in both venues can be dismantled to create open spaces for events. Four multipurpose rooms are available for meetings and, during productions, as dressing rooms. A rehearsal room and dance studio on the second floor has, since 2013, been regularly used as a studio theatre alongside the main house for small-scale theatre, music and spoken word, with a seated capacity of 90. An art gallery occupies the three floors of the venue. Both the main house and the studio are soundproofed and are not structurally linked within the building, in order to eliminate sound conduction between the two. The programme has covered theatre and dance performances, cinema screenings, live music including touring bands and solo artists, touring theatre, and both ballet and contemporary dance. Classical music and comedy have featured, from well-known performers to circuit comedians. Artrix also works with local groups and organisations as part of Bromsgrove Arts Alive, providing space for theatre performances, a pantomime, a classical music club, spoken word talks featuring playwrights, novelists, poets and historians, and productions by local dance schools. A learning and engagement department coordinates projects including a youth theatre group and community projects for all ages and social backgrounds. In 2018 the centre lost funding from Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council and Heart of Worcestershire College and started to struggle financially. At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, a series of large long-term contract hires came to an end, and the sudden halt to activities led to the charitable trust operating the centre running out of funds and entering into voluntary liquidation. The assets were purchased by Bromsgrove District Council with the intention of looking at options to re-open the venue once the situation improved. The venue was used as the COVID mass vaccination centre for Bromsgrove. Several groups are looking at options to reopen the venue.

• 2020

  At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, the charitable trust operating Artrix enters voluntary liquidation; assets purchased by Bromsgrove District Council.

• 2018

  Artrix loses funding from Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council and Heart of Worcestershire College.

• 2013

  Second-floor rehearsal room/dance studio begins regular use as a studio theatre.

• 2005

  Construction of the Artrix building is completed.

• 2004

  Construction of the Artrix building begins.

• 1999

  Green field site on School Drive sold off by Heart of Worcestershire College Bromsgrove campus (formerly NEWcollege).

Community-focused multi-arts venue serving Bromsgrove and the surrounding area.

• Main auditorium

  Seating capacity of approximately 301; seating can be dismantled for open-space events.

• Studio theatre

  Second-floor rehearsal room/dance studio used as a studio theatre since 2013; seated capacity of 90.

• Art gallery

  Gallery on the three floors of the venue.

• Licensed cafe-bar

  On-site licensed cafe-bar.

• Multipurpose rooms

  Four rooms available for meetings and as dressing rooms during productions.

1. 1Artrix - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Artrix, Bromsgrove - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org