Opening 2015

a place where young people can sh

ine

NG

HS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Setting the Scene

Our school has a long and proud tradition in the Performing Arts. Generations of girls have grown and developed their talents in music, drama and dance. As a Head, it is a real privilege to watch that talent grow, to nurture it and to feel the huge pride when the girls perform to great acclaim. You will see from the following pages that our girls have gone on to enormous success in a wide variety of the Performing Arts over the years. However, our facilities have remained unchanged. Such exceptional talent needs facilities which will allow our girls to showcase their full potential. We need a Performing Arts Centre which will be worthy of the talent we have currently in school and of the, as yet, undiscovered talent.

Our current school assembly hall is small and ill-equipped for drama or music. In spite of our poor, outdated facilities, our girls perform superbly. But how much more could we achieve with a professional building? A proper stage, excellent lighting and sound facilities, a large auditorium and orchestra pit. A 345 seat state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre will provide this.

Our talented girls and future generations deserve this. We will extend our existing performing arts outreach programme, offering widening access and diversity in the community. If we are to really develop the talents of our young people let’s give them the tools to shine, to be the stars of the future, and help them to be the best they can be.

The Trustees of the GDST have pledged their support for a Performing Arts Centre and are providing £5 million of the £6.5 million required. Planning approval has been granted and now NGHS needs to fundraise a further £1.5 million before building work can commence in 2014.

We have the support of distinguished alumnae, Dame Stella Rimington, former Director of MI5 who has agreed to be our patron and Rosemary Squire OBE, joint CEO of the Ambassador Theatre Group who will chair our fundraising committee. The committee comprises an enthusiastic group of volunteers drawn from alumnae, parents and former parents, with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Arts.

We are going from strength to strength. An increasingly strong player in Nottingham, a real asset to the City and to the local community, we ask you to invest in this school and ‘raise the curtain’ on our Performing Arts Centre.

Susan M Gorham, Head Nottingham Girls’ High School

Dame Stella Rimington

I am delighted to support the Raise the Curtain Appeal. When I was at Nottingham Girls’ High School in the 1940s and 50s our plays were performed on the stage in the school hall, with primitive curtains and lighting and space for only a small audience. We and our friends in the orchestra would have loved the opportunity to perform in more sophisticated surroundings. Now the world has moved on and the facilities we dreamed of are set to become possible thanks to the imagination of the staff of NGHS and the support of the GDST. We now need your help to complete the funding. The school gave me a sound education but it also taught me the skills needed to perform successfully in public, from which came the self confidence which has carried me on through my career. With your help the Performing Arts Centre will provide the opportunity for a new generation of girls to learn the same skills in a modern environment.

Rosemary Squire, OBE

My time at Nottingham Girls’ High School taught me so much beyond my academic subjects, important as they were. I learnt to think out of the box, to aim high, to be determined and resilient, and that with diligence almost anything is possible. These qualities have had a huge influence on my life and have been a defining factor in my success. This project is, of course, particularly close to my heart given my career in the performing arts. This new facility will create a wonderful space for NGHS and the wider community, helping to transform the heritage area where the school has been located since its formation almost 140 years ago. It is testament to the vision and viability of the project that the GDST Trustees have agreed to underwrite the majority of the project with a pledge of £5m. With your help we can raise the remaining £1.5m and make this vision a reality.

Thank you for your support

Dame Stella Rimington Patron, ‘Raise the Curtain’

Rosemary Squire, OBE Chair, Development Board for ‘Raise the Curtain’

Why do we need a Performing Arts Centre?

• to enable us to use performing arts to develop confident, well rounded young women with strong communication skills - preparing them to make a difference

• to expand and enhance the current programme on offer to pupils with a wide ranging programme of interdisciplinary opportunities including stage craft, production, sound and lighting experience

• to create a space that can be dedicated to rehearsal and performance as well as being used for a variety of other events and activities

• to build on the valuable outreach programmes already in place - widening access and diversity for children and young people from different backgrounds

• to encourage innovation and introduce new artists and their work

• to offer a valuable resource to local schools and develop partnerships with local arts organisations

• to support the renaissance of the Arboretum heritage area of Nottingham

Our Proud Tradition

NGHS has a vibrant and active performing arts community with involvement from across the school and incorporating all year groups. We are very proud of the many alumnae who have gone on to successful and high profile careers within the arts:

June Spencer, OBE

June has worked in Radio since 1943 and has played the character ‘Peggy’ in The Archers for 61 years.

Clare Hammond

A highly acclaimed pianist, Clare completed a BA at Cambridge University where she obtained a double first in music.

Sue Hoyle, OBE

Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, which develops outstanding leaders in the arts, and a Trustee of the British Council. She was previously Deputy Secretary General and Director of Dance of Arts Council England.

Indhu Rubasingham

Artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre.

Sudha Kheterpal

Successful percussionist, recording and touring with artists including Kylie, Dido and the Spice Girls, but probably best known as a member of Faithless.

Laura Davenport

Ballerina - dancer with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Bianca Claxton

An accomplished cellist, Bianca trained at the Royal Academy of Music as a classical singer, before joining the girl group Parade.

A design for the future

This contemporary flagship building, designed by award winning Nottingham architects Marsh Grochowski, will provide the school with a 345 seat multi-purpose auditorium, foyer, dressing rooms, back of house areas and music rehearsal/theory rooms. The auditorium will be flexible. With a variety of theatre seating layouts, the flat floor configuration can be subdivided into two performance teaching spaces. The foyer will benefit from views over the Arboretum.

“The proposed Performing Arts Centre exemplifies innovative contextual design”

“The design disguises the ‘box’ of the auditorium inside a complex layered building which presents human-scale architecture to the streets which bound the site. The complex form replicates the grain of the Victorian buildings which previously occupied the south side of Arboretum Street”

“The architecture responds to the careful site analysis with focal points and street legibility”

“The palette of materials references the Conservation Area analysis”

“The entrance and public spaces are welcoming and the building provides appropriate level of street interaction to the benefit of community safety”

Source: Nottingham Civic Society

Ground Floor Plan

Sustainability

Sustainability is a key feature of the design. It will be naturally ventilated and make use of solar energy, daylight and rainwater recovery. Natural materials will be used, such as rammed earth and mature timbers.

Natural VentilationThe auditorium is naturally ventilated - cool air will be drawn up through the building via the stack effect. The constant flow of clean air will create a healthy, quiet and comfortable environment for the users with low running costs.

Natural DaylightThe use of natural daylight in the building will help reduce the need for artificial lighting, helping save cost and energy.

Ground Source Heat PumpThe pump can be used to heat the building on winter days and cool it during the summer, lowering the heating and cooling cost of the building.

Solar Heat Collectors and Solar PhotovoltaicsPlaced on the south side of the roof the solar panels and PVs will harness the sun’s free energy to produce electricity and hot water to be used in the building.

Rain Water HarvestingRainwater collection provides a renewable source of water for washing and flushing toilets reducing the need for mains water, and the energy use and CO2 emissions that go with it.

Native TimberUsed for the external cladding of the building, timber protects the building from the elements and weathers to blend with its surroundings.

Rammed EarthLocally sourced earth will be used in the auditorium walls. Rammed earth is non toxic, resistant to fire and biodegradable, making it an ideal material for use in sustainable construction.

Recycled blockworkThe recycled blockwork uses crushed concrete, brick or recycled timber pallets.

First Floor Plan

The Next Generation

We can achieve this with your help

• Through your investment you will be supporting the work of the school, the community and the arts in general, by ensuring that the necessary resources are in place to complete this ambitious development in the heart of Nottingham.

• This invitation presents you with a unique opportunity to be part of a new cultural venue for Nottingham as well as supporting the young people of our community, whatever their background and origin.

• It will be an environment in which individuals can explore the world of the arts, whether it is front of stage or behind the scenes. It is also intended that the project will create opportunities for new endowments for performing arts scholarships.

How can I be involved?

With your support and our commitment to these ambitious plans, our vision will be realised. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you the many ways in which you can contribute to this exciting venture.

Contact us - we would love to talk to you further about:

• naming opportunities• a one-off donation• gifts in kind• forming a strategic partnership • corporate hospitality• bursaries and scholarships• attending fundraising events

We have the vision, the drive and the energy to make this Performing Arts Centre a great success and we will make you feel an integral part of the project.

The Performing Arts Centre will be a true collaboration between the school and its supporters. Together we can ensure that generations of young people enjoy the opportunity to reach their potential in the arts.

Call Marie Soar, Development Manager, on 0115 935 4410 or email m.soar@not.gdst.net

The Girls’ Day School Trust is a Limited Company.Registered in England No.6400. Registered Charity No.306983.Registered Office 100 Rochester Row London SW1P 1JP www.gdst.net

Nottingham Girls’ High School9 Arboretum Street, Nottingham NG1 4JB

t: 0115 941 7663 f: 0115 924 0757 development@not.gdst.net

www.nottinghamgirlshigh.gdst.net