3.6 Culture, sport and leisure

3.6.1

Plain English Version

Birmingham has a thriving cultural, sport and leisure sector which serves local and regional needs. The city centre is home to a number of venues, including Symphony Hall, St. Philip’s Cathedral, the Hippodrome Theatre, the Birmingham Rep Theatre, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the National Indoor Arena and the Ikon Gallery amongst many others. We also have plans to move the Library of Birmingham from Chamberlain Square to a site next to the Birmingham Rep.

Original Document

Birmingham has a thriving cultural, sports and leisure sector which serves local and regional needs. The city centre is home to a number of venues, including Symphony Hall, St. Philip’s Cathedral, the Hippodrome Theatre, the Birmingham Rep Theatre, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the National Indoor Arena and the Ikon Gallery amongst many others. Plans for relocating the Library of Birmingham from Chamberlain Square adjacent to the Birmingham Rep site in Centenary Square are well advanced.

3 comments


3.6.2

Plain English Version

The city centre is also host to a variety of events, most notably the International Jazz Festival, ArtsFest, the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the St. George’s party, Birmingham Pride, the Birmingham Carnival. The Council’s cultural strategy promotes waht we call ‘Culture at Heart’,  culture in the city centre.

Original Document

The city centre is also host to a variety of cultural events, most notably the International Jazz Festival, ArtsFest, the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the St. George’s party, Birmingham Pride, the Birmingham Carnival and a number of other multicultural events. The Council’s cultural strategy promotes ‘Culture at Heart’, supporting culture in the city centre.

3 comments


3.6.3

Plain English Version

We have the NIA, a top sports venue and also close are two major football clubs and the Warwickshire County Cricket Ground in Edgbaston.

The only places in the city centre to play sport are private gyms and a bowling alley.

Original Document

The NIA is a premier sporting venue accommodating more than 30 different types of sport within the city centre. Also in close proximity are two major football clubs and Warwickshire County Cricket Ground. In terms of participatory sport however, the only venues are private gyms and a bowling alley.

Comments Off


3.6.4

Plain English Version

The Big City Plan will consider further investment in culture and sport. This should promote the city’s national and global reputation and support local creative industry and sporting excellence.  This may even present opportunities for new facilities, for example a contemporary museum of modern art within one of the new developments, potentially New Street Station.

Original Document

The Big City Plan will consider further investment in culture and sport as a means of promoting the city’s national and global reputation and supporting local creative industry and sporting excellence. New development may open up opportunities for locating new cultural and leisure facilities. An example might be the location of a contemporary museum of modern art within one of the new developments, potentially New Street Station.

Comments Off


3.6.5

Plain English Version

The city needs more flexible indoor and outdoor space for events. The Southside area, and in particular the area of the wholesale markets, could provide the opportunity to create such space.

Original Document

The city needs more flexible indoor and outdoor space for events. The Southside area, and in particular the area of the wholesale markets, could provide the opportunity of creating such space.

Comments Off


3.6.6

Plain English Version

The Big City Plan will also explore how we could use the whole city centre as a gallery with exhibits and art in the streets and squares and  on prominent parts of buildings.

Original Document

The Big City Plan will also explore the concept of using the whole city centre as a gallery: getting exhibits and works of art into the streets and squares of the city and into prominent locations on buildings.

1 comment


3.6.7

Plain English Version

Privately owned leisure and nightlife within the city centre has largely been concentrated along Broad Street, at Fiveways and around the Hippodrome and Arcadian Centre. More recently, the development of Brindleyplace, the Bullring and the Mailbox has helped to create a more thriving leisure scene with bars and restaurants within the heart of the city centre. These areas tend to host leisure and restaurants run by the largers brands. There is also a cluster of bars and clubs in the Digbeth area around the Custard Factory, and around Hurst Street.

Original Document

Commercial leisure facilities and nightlife within the city centre have largely been concentrated along Broad Street and at Fiveways and around the Hippodrome and Arcadian Centre. More recently, the development of Brindleyplace, the Bullring and the Mailbox has helped to create a more thriving leisure scene with bars and restaurants within the heart of the city centre. Being part of major developments, these areas tend to host leisure and restaurant ‘multiples’. There is also a cluster of bars and clubs in the Digbeth area around the Custard Factory, and around Hurst Street.

Comments Off


3.6.8

Plain English Version

However, Birmingham still need to developed a leisure scene with distinct and differentiated areas and it’s own independent leisure centres and restaurants. This is perhaps a surprise in a big city with a young age structure and with several universities and colleges.

Original Document

However, unlike some cities, Birmingham does not have a highly developed leisure scene with distinct and differentiated leisure areas. There is also a need for more leisure and restaurant independents to give Birmingham a more distinct identity. This is perhaps a surprise in a big city with a young age structure and with several universities and colleges.

Comments Off


Question CUL1

Plain English Version

What extra cultural and arts facilities (such as theatres, art galleries and so on) might we need?

Original Document

What further cultural and arts facilities might be needed in the city centre to promote the national and global image of Birmingham?

35 comments


Question CUL2

Plain English Version

How could we use outdoor leisure or tourism events to make the city centre economy and image better? How can we use the spaces we have now or make new spaces for holding events? How can we support different types of events? How can we have more flexible outdoor and indoor space: should we, for example, put it into the wholesale markets area?

Original Document

How might the city centre economy and image be enhanced through outdoor leisure/tourism events and how might existing spaces be used or new spaces created to accommodate such events? How can the city go about creating the right conditions for formal, free and spontaneous outdoor events? How can more flexible outdoor and indoor space be provided: should it, for example, go onto a future development of the wholesale markets?

1 comment


Question CUL3

Plain English Version

What can we do to give the city centre a livelier street scene?

Original Document

What steps can be taken to give the city centre a livelier street scene?

3 comments


Question CUL4

Plain English Version

Where and how could the city get new space for arts exhibitions within big new developments, such as New Street Station?

Original Document

Where and how might the city seek to get new arts exhibition space and venues incorporated into major new developments (for example, like New Street Station)?

4 comments


Question CUL5

Plain English Version

We think that the city should use more of its streets and spaces to exhibit works of art. What can we do to make this happen?

Original Document

The city would like to use more of its streets and spaces for the exhibition of works of art. What steps can the city, and the Big City Plan, take to bring this about?

2 comments


Question CUL6

Plain English Version

How can we have more, better and a greater range of commercial leisure facilities?

Original Document

How can the Plan address the need to improve the commercial leisure offer to develop a larger and more diverse leisure economy?

Comments Off