Revamp takes Birmingham Symphony Hall to the next stage
It has hosted world-class orchestras as well as music stars from Bruce Springsteen to Paloma Faith - but now the Symphony Hall in Birmingham has been given a new look to help it attract a wider audience.
A new space to enable the venue in Birmingham to host corporate events, conferences and banquets has been created.
A 'floating' stage floor which covers the stalls seating had been fitted to provide an area with a capacity for up to 620 people.
The venue has already attracted its first booking for the new area, called The Next Stage. The Asset Based Finance Association is to hold its annual conference at the hall in June.
Anita Bhalla OBE, chairman of Performances Birmingham Limited, the charity which manages the venue, said: "The Next Stage marks a hugely significant step in Symphony Hall's history, opening up the hall in response to demand from the corporate and events industry, and providing a valuable new income stream for the charity in these financially challenging times.
"Holding an event at Symphony Hal supports the charity's valuable education and talent development programme which reaches 18,000 people each year and underpins our artistic programme which brings the best in the world to Birmingham."
Around 300 stage decks make up the floor which was designed by Staging Services Ltd.
The firm's marketing manager Richard Langford said: "Staging Services has been providing live event organisers with staging and bespoke stage sets for more than 25 years.
"This is a really exciting time for us. We're used to giving performances a lift but in the new partnership with Symphony Hall Birmingham we will literally be lifting the venue – there's something very special about this opportunity.
"It's not every day you get to work with such a precious and highly acclaimed venue."
