The Drum, Potters Lane, Newton (Aston), Birmingham

The Drum was an intercultural

arts centre An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues fo ...

in the Newtown area of Aston, in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, England; originally established as the United Kingdom's national centre for Black British and

British Asian British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British citizens of Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with 6.9% of the population identifying as Asian/Asian Bri ...

arts. Activities included music, drama, spoken word, exhibitions, visual arts, comedy and dance.

History

The Drum occupied the site of the former

Aston Hippodrome The Aston Hippodrome (), also known as The Hipp, was a popular theatre in the Aston area of Birmingham, England."A ...

, which was a major variety theatre between 1908 and 1960. The Aston Hippodrome hosted performances by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy,

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

and

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working ...

. The building was demolished in 1980, but in 1991

Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom ...

set up a project to create a new cultural facility on the site, specifically to reflect the highly diverse culture of the surrounding area. The Drum started hosting events in 1994, the first being an exhibition called 'Negritude'. In 1996, the singer Cleo Laine accepted a cheque from the National Lottery on behalf of The Drum. The Drum was fully opened in 1998. In October 2013, during

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

, The Drum was visited by then British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was shown around the venue by its CEO Charles Small. In 2014, poet

Benjamin Zephaniah Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002), ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, p. 562. . is a British writer and dub poet. He was included in ''The Times'' list of Britain's top 50 post-wa ...

and musician

Courtney Pine Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964), is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...

were made patrons of The Drum, using their influence to help raise funds for a refit of the venue. In 2015, the establishment was approved for its first major renovation and extension since it first opened. In March 2016, however, the decision was taken liquidate, amid financial troubles. The announcement to close was caused outrage among community representatives and residents. Birmingham musician Laura Mvula described the news as "terrible". An online community petition to save the venue from closure was signed by 3,294 people but was unsuccessful in its campaign. The Drum Arts Centre permanently closed its doors on 30 June 2016 and was reopened in September 2019 under new management as the Legacy Centre of Excellence, billed by its new owners as "Europe’s largest independent Black-owned Business and Arts Centre".

Facilities

The Drum had two auditoria, the 350-seat main auditorium and a 120-seat ''Andy Hamilton Studio,'' named after saxophonist

Andy Hamilton Andrew Neil Hamilton (born 28 May 1954) is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter, radio dramatist, novelist and actor. Early life and education Hamilton was born in Fulham, southwest London. He ...

. It also had an exhibition space, a cafe-bar, a business suite and a multimedia production suite. The venue was also available for private hire. The Drum was located at 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham B6 4UU.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drum, The Buildings and structures in Birmingham, West Midlands Arts centres in England Theatres in Birmingham, West Midlands Art museums and galleries in Birmingham, West Midlands Music venues in Birmingham, West Midlands 1998 establishments in England 2016 disestablishments in England