Prince's visit marks new chapter for arts centre

It is the £72 million 'pink elephant', a building that has been mired in controversy since the day it was first mooted.

And now The Public, as it was formerly known, has started a new chapter in its short life after Prince Edward yesterday officially opened it as Central Sixth.

Externally the building in West Bromwich town centre looks the same, but inside there are a few changes thanks to a £5.9m conversion.

Take a look at The Public following its transformation.

HRH Prince Edward visits Central Sixth in West Bromwich

The Earl of Wessex toured new classrooms, science labs and IT suites in spaces where there once would have been exhibitions and tea dances.

In his speech before unveiling a ceremonial plaque, the Prince remarked on the building's novelty and 'magnificence', and said he hoped the 500 students using the building will make the most of the facilities.

While there Prince Edward was shown around the building by Graham Pennington, the principal of Sandwell College which runs Central Sixth, and introduced to students and staff.

Following his visit Scott Upton, vice principal of the college, said: "We have been exceptionally lucky, because 18 months ago the Countess of Wessex opened the main college campus.

"Having someone like a member of the royal family to open the building exposes the students to the institution in Britain and gives them someone to look up to when they come into college.

"It was fantastic, the Prince got on really well with the students in the classrooms, spent a lot of time talking to them, and I think all the students really enjoyed themselves."

Visiting one of the two new specialist science laboratories, Prince Edward met biology A Level students Alice Pledger, aged 18 and from Wolverhampton, and 17-year-old Bushra Rangzeb, from Walsall. They showed him how to extract DNA from strawberries.

HRH Prince Edward studies a strawberry DNA experiment by Alice Pledger, 18, from Wolverhampton

Alice said: "We showed him how to form a solution from washing up liquid and and salt, and mixed it with the crushed strawberries to get the DNA.

"It forms a layer on the top like cotton wool, that means you can visibly see the DNA and extract it.

"It was very interesting to meet him, we are not used to meeting people like that, and he was very polite."

HRH Prince Andrew with A Level biology students Bushra Rangzeb, 17, and Alice Pledger, 18

Bushra added: "It was quite strange but really interesting.

"He was really engaging and asked us a lot of questions. He seemed very nice."

From there he met students starting on the college's new Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Student liaison coordinator David Hughes, who was running the lesson at the time, said: "He was asking the young people about what they are doing for the awards and their previous experiences, because most of them will be doing their golds now.

"He was a nice guy, very chatty."

A visit was also paid to the centre's new open-plan IT hub, where he met staff and dozens of students on their computers, before popping in to a history lesson in one of the newly-built modular classrooms.

HRH Prince Edward chats to students and staff (L-R) Chloe Stevens, 16, David Hughes, Hannah Randall, Chloe Attley, 16, and Abigail Cattell, 16

A small ceremony was then held in the main entrance, where the Prince unveiled a pink glass plaque made by Paul Floyd, a designer based at Stourbridge's Ruskin Glass Centre. The shape and colour reflects the building's huge, iconic misshaped windows.

Before the reveal the Earl said: "This is a rather novel conversion of a former art gallery into hopefully a very inspiring environment in which to learn.

"I hope you will make the most of this magnificent building."

Conversion work on the building started in February following its closure as the public last November.

The doors shut on the arts centre under a hail of criticism from users, staff and some members of the community, who raised a petition of more than 1,000 signatures, but Sandwell Council was not willing to continue to foot the £1.6 million annual subsidy.

HRH Prince Edward is welcomed to Central Sixth by Sandwell College principal Graham Pennington and Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Derek Rowley

A 25-year deal was stuck between the authority and the college for the sixth form, which includes a community arts cafe open to the public on the ground floor run by Sandwell Council.

Although 500 students will currently be using Central Sixth, there is expansion potential in the future to increase this number to around 800.