Wolverhampton Grand Theatre awarded £2m to breathe new life into Slade Rooms music venue

Theatre bosses formally took over the site last month and will use the grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' Community Ownership Fund to give it a facelift. Bosses hope to acquire the building in future.

Under the proposals the venue will be transformed into a community arts hub featuring a 250-seat studio theatre, a small performance studio, rehearsal rooms, exhibition facilities, offices and creative business space.

Grand Theatre chief executive Adrian Jackson said: “We are committed to supporting and empowering our cherished community, therefore the grant from the Community Ownership Fund will allow us to continue to enhance the cultural and creative enrichment within the City.

"Furthermore, the grant will save an existing asset, The Slade Rooms, which has been at risk of loss and will now be preserved for generations within our vision for the future.Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has been developing major creative expansion plans for the past six years and these will now finally become a reality.

"I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for recognising the significant impact our work has on the local community and, for the exciting new chapter we open in the Grand Theatre history.”

The theatre's chairman Philip Barnett said: " The board has been working alongside Adrian and his team for the last seven years.

"We have had a number of disappointments along the way, but I am delighted that the Grand Theatre has secured the funding that will enable his artistic vision to be turned into reality for the benefit of the people of Wolverhampton and surrounding areas."

The Slade Rooms, previously operated by Wolverhampton Council, has been shut since early 2020 due to "operational issues", while the civic centre considered whether to renew its lease.

Phase One of the revamp will see work start on the ground floor by the end of the next year. Further funding will be required to complete the programme which is part of the Grand Theatre’s ongoing creative arts plan.

The Community Ownership Fund was set up to save at risk community buildings. Last month theatre bosses signed a 12-month exclusivity agreement with the owners of the Slade Rooms building, also known as Amar House.

Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson MP said: “The Grand Theatre plays an integral role in our city, widening access to arts and culture. I am delighted that it has been awarded £2 million from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund to transform the Slade Rooms as extra space in which to host creative and performing arts activities.

"It is part of a substantial package of interventions to regenerate our town centres and high streets, improve local transport links, and invest in local culture. This will help to drive economic growth in our city, delivering on our agenda to level up and address regional inequalities.”

Plans to expand the Grand's role were unveiled five years ago when the theatre announced its intention to purchase the neighbouring former post office building, however, those plans have since been shelved.