TRANSFORM

BLACKHEATH HALLS2018

“As Patron, I am truly delighted to see that plans are underway to upgrade Blackheath Halls, so that it can continue to play a pivotal role in the community on so many levels and for so many age groups. In supporting the final push in the fundraising drive, you will be very much part of that transformation for all to enjoy.”

Jools Holland Patron of Blackheath Halls

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Blackheath Halls is your Halls. It has been part of the landscape for over 120 years and continues to bring our community together, across all ages and abilities. Many of you will have witnessed the challenges the Halls has faced over the decades and will have gone the extra mile to support the building and the programmes we run here. For this we are sincerely grateful. Keeping the Halls fit for purpose is in all our interests, to ensure that it supports the needs of the next generation. Having recently replaced the main roof of the Halls with the support of Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Viridor Credits and the Friends of Blackheath Halls, we have now been given an incredible gift, in the form of most generous lead donations of £1.5m from The Hearn Foundation and £0.5m from Arts Council England. This will enable us to transform the Halls into a space worthy of the creative talents it hosts. To fully realise this ambition, we need to raise a further £1m. We now ask you, our loyal supporters and close friends, to contribute to our next stage of fundraising. Through these improvements we aim to ensure that Blackheath Halls maintains and extends its position at the very heart of the community it serves so well, across the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham and beyond.

We very much hope that you will consider being part of the campaign to Transform Blackheath Halls and that we will see you at our fundraising events.

We look forward to welcoming you in October 2018 to the Grand Opening!

2018-New Year: New Halls“As a Patron and local myself, I know that everyone comes together at Blackheath Halls to create something cohesive and exciting – a perfect illustration of all that’s important about the word ‘community’.”

Nicky SpenceTenor and Patron of Blackheath Halls Community Opera

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Professor Anthony Bowne Chair, Blackheath Halls and Principal, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Gemma Okell Director, Blackheath Halls

Be part of the future

When William Webster founded Blackheath Halls in 1895, he could scarcely have imagined that it would still be at the centre of the community’s thriving cultural life some 120 years later. An historic and much-loved Grade II-listed building, the Halls is part of the oldest-surviving, purpose-built cultural complex in London. It is also home to the stars of the future, in the shape of music students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, one of the world’s leading conservatoires. These exceptionally talented young performers come to Blackheath Halls to rehearse and perform solo, jazz, choral, symphonic and operatic repertoires.

Key features of the current plans are:

Refurbishing our main space, the Great HallRedesigning the Foyer and Bar, and enhancing all public areas Upgrading the backstage facilities to create a new suite of rooms.

In the pages that follow, you will see in more detail what we plan to do and the ways in which you can help. Perhaps there is a particular area that has given you great pleasure or special memories. Find out how you can be a part of this inspiring new era and how we will acknowledge your gift on page 12.

Special buildings require care and attention, so that they can meet the needs of 21st-century artists and audiences. We recognise that many of you have supported our efforts over the years as we upgrade, most recently as part of the Elevate and Renovate campaign to improve access to the first floor of the building. We also thank Trinity Laban, Viridor Credits and the Friends of Blackheath Halls for their recent donations, which have enabled us to repair the roof. Today, we are asking you to support works that will transform Blackheath Halls into a more flexible performing arts centre, attracting the best of international and home-grown talent, and encouraging the artistic discovery of professionals, students and community members alike.

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The Great Hall

At the heart of the Blackheath Halls complex is the stunning Great Hall, which hosts a wide variety of cultural events, from concerts and quiz nights to tea dances and wedding receptions, and which is much in demand as a rehearsal and recording venue by top professional orchestras. Mindful of its unique heritage, the renovations will sensitively transform the Hall into a high-quality, flexible space that will further increase the diversity of the events offered, for example, by attracting new theatre and dance companies, and enrich the experience of both performers and audience:

“The Halls gave me a valuable opportunity to stretch myself artistically, with a dedicated and warm audience in attendance. That’s priceless!”

Samantha Crawford, soprano

How you can help Name a seat

Name a pair of Prime Seats

Name the Stage

See p.12 for further details.

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GREAT HALL

STAGE

A levelled and lowered stage

Retractable raked seating to improve sight lines and audience comfort

Improvements to acoustics, including new curtains and screens

Provision of new stage equipment and lighting.

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How you can help Your name on the Supporters board

Your name on the board as a William Webster Patron

Name the Foyer

Name the Bar

See p.12 for further details.

Foyer

Box Office

Bar

The Foyer and Bar

As you approach our wonderful building there will be a warm welcome for visitors and performers. In the Foyer there will be seating while you wait for guests to arrive and new signs will clearly indicate where to go for those unfamiliar with the Halls. The unified colour palette of the front of house has been chosen with the rich heritage of the building in mind, with greater prominence given to the treasured stained glass windows. The floor will feature bespoke, music-themed tiles throughout, and the corridor and the WCs will be renovated, giving a fresh, integrated feel to all the public areas.

Artist’s impression of foyer

l A transformed Blackheath Halls Supporters

board (provisional location)l Décor to echo the heritage stained glassl Open space to improve the flow from the entrancel New barl Modern, comfortable seatingl Unique contemporary floor tilesl Discrete work spacesl New entrances to the Great Halll Informal performance area

The Bar also gets a facelift to create a larger and more flexible space in which to unwind before and after the event. There will be a brand-new extended counter enabling an improved bar service for busy events. Stylish seating areas invite you to chat with friends over a coffee or a glass of wine, mingle with artists to discuss the performance or entertain your family. You may be able to view an exhibition by a local visual artist or, if you need to catch up on some work,

there will be a place for that, too. A special feature is a new, informal performance area, providing the perfect backdrop for a relaxed and entertaining visit for all generations.

Funds permitting, we also hope to improve the approach to the Halls to provide a welcoming external environment, with new signage indicating our location, and a more pleasant outside space to arrive in and meet friends.

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How you can help

or select one of the following

Name the Artists’ Dressing Room

Name the Green Room

Name the Large Dressing Room

See p.12 for further details.

Jimmy Carr, Esa-Pekka Salonen, N-Dubz, Gabriel Prokofiev, Jenny Eclair, Simon

Day, Adam Hills, Shappi Khorsandi, Lau, Rich Hall, Gabrielle, Dr Feelgood, The Tiger

Lillies, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael McIntyre, The Hamsters, Romesh

Ranganathan, Jack Whitehall, The Blockheads, Acker Bilk, Edward Gardner, James

Taylor, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Jacqui Dankworth, Chris Difford,

Rob Beckett, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Courtney Pine, Glenn

Tilbrook, Russell Kane, Matthew Rose, John Humphreys, Fred MacAulay, Vladimir

Jurowski, Germaine Greer, Chas & Dave, Blake Morrison, The Boomtown Rats,

Jools Holland, Nikolai Demidenko, Josh Widdicombe, Sir Willard White, Ian Rankin,

Wihan Quartet, Norman Lovett, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Jo Caulfield, Oysterband,

Addictive TV, Paul Chowdhry, Alastair McGowan, Sir Charles Mackerras, Andy

Parsons, The Wailers, Ruby Wax, Timothy West, Sean Lock, Philharmonia Orchestra,

Lee Nelson, Kevin Bridges, Suzi Ruffell, Tom Allen, Mark Steel, Sir Neville Marriner,

Marcus Brigstocke, Kate Rusby, Jeremy Hardy, Seann Walsh, Alabama 3, Lee Child,

Snowboy, Michael Portillo, Julian Lloyd Webber, Osibisa, Jeremy Paxman, Eliza Carthy,

David Starkey, Björn Again, Eric Knowles, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jo Brand, Ray,

Gelato, Monty Don, Humphrey Lyttelton, Waterson:Carthy, The Christians, Mari

Wilson, Hayseed Dixie, The Blues Band, The Manfreds, Deborah Bonham, Pere

Ubu, Think Floyd, James Taylor Quartet, Bernadine Evaristo, Jason Rebello, Edmund

de Waal, Kathryn Stott, Paco Peña, Will Self, Lee Stuart Evans, Clare Teal, Elkie

Brooks, Ruby Turner, Francis Spufford, Neil Rhind, Sir Simon Rattle, Percy Grainger,

Nathan Caton, James Gilchrist, George Bernard Shaw, Samantha Crawford, Peter

Barber, Sky Ingram, Claire Tomalin, Cara Dillon, Monty Don, Humphrey Lyttelton,

Waterson:Carthy, The Christians, Mari Wilson, Hayseed Dixie, The Blues Band,

The Manfreds, Deborah Bonham, Pere Ubu, Think Floyd, James Taylor Quartet.

Backstage at the Halls

Green Room

Artists’ Dressing

Room

LargeDressing

Room

Under stagestorageRoom

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The hitherto neglected backstage area at the Halls will undergo an upgrade to offer improved spaces and facilities to the stars who walk through our doors – whether they be professional, student or community performers. The dividing wall between two of the existing rooms will be removed to allow for a single Large Dressing Room, which can be divided by a curtain as needed. A separate Artists’ Dressing Room will be created to give the conductor or principal artist a more private space in which to prepare. In addition to these areas, a Green Room fitted with sofas and occasional tables will offer a comfortable place for our artists to relax pre- and post-performance. The carpet, ceiling and lighting will be upgraded, new sinks installed and the existing WCs refurbished.

Name the Suite (all three backstage areas)

£650+ Supporter

£5,000+ Great Hall

Patron

£650+ Supporter

£5,000+ Great Hall

Patron

£650+ Supporter

£650+ Supporter

We need your help to make Blackheath Halls a vibrant, creative venue fit for the 21st century. There are several exciting opportunities for you to become a Supporter or Patron at a level of your choice:

Budget for the renovation as at December 2017

Exclusive naming opportunities for the Stage in the Great Hall, the Foyer, the Bar, and the Backstage suite (Artists’ Dressing Room, Large Dressing Room and Green Room. Please ask for a private conversation (details overleaf).

Total incometo date

£2,470,000

The Hearn Foundation £1,500,000

Arts Council England £500,000

Viridor Credits £235,000

Trinity Laban Conservatoire £235,000

Friends of Blackheath Halls £25,000

Estimated Expenditure£3,470,000

Great Hall refurbishment £1,565,000

Front of house, Foyer and Bar £615,000

Replacement of main roof £500,000

Lighting £250,000

Demolition, enabling,

repair and external works £200,000

WCs and corridors £170,000

Dressing Rooms and furniture £170,000

£250+ Supporter

£650+ Supporter

£1,200+ Blackheath Halls

Patron

£5,000+ Great Hall

Patron

£10,000+ William Webster

Patron

ExclusiveNaming

Your name will be included on our Supporters board at the Halls

Plus the opportunity to name a seat in the Great Hall after a loved one or a deserving individual or your choice.

Plus an invitation to the annual Patrons lunch at Trinity Laban Conservatoire or Blackheath Halls, with the Royal Patron in attendance when possible.’

Includes the opportunity to name a pair of Prime Seats in the Great Hall. Please refer to the plan on page 7

Includes an acknowledgement as a William Webster Patron on the Supporters board. William Webster founded Blackheath Halls in 1895. Please refer to plan on page 7

How you can help

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“For the Friends of Blackheath Halls, the Halls is more than just a venue: it’s our whole raison d’être. And a great village network!”

Dame Joan Ruddock, Chair of the Friends of Blackheath Halls

“Through the work of its wonderful staff and artistic leaders, Blackheath Halls is on a mission to provide quality music for all. I hope we can work together to make the venue itself worthy of the outstanding experiences that take place inside it.”

Nicholas Jenkins, Glyndebourne Chorus Master; former Musical Director, Blackheath Halls Opera

TRANSFORM

BLACKHEATH HALLS2018

Blackheath Halls is a registered charity (no. 287589) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and DanceBlackheath Halls23 Lee Rd BlackheathLondonSE3 9RQ

PatronJools Holland

Transform Blackheath Halls DonorsThe Hearn FoundationArts Council EnglandTrinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and DanceViridor CreditsFriends of Blackheath Halls

Design TeamArchitect: Woods BagotTheatre Consultant: Carr & AngierBuilding Services and Acoustics: Max FordhamStructural Engineer: Elliott WoodQuantity Surveyors: EqualsElectrical Designer: integratedlightPlanning Consultant: Arthurs Planning & Development

With grateful thanks to Handelsbanken and Grant Saw for the production of the brochure and supporting the campaign launch

To be part of this next stage in our history and to join our ever-increasing Blackheath Halls family, please get in touch with us:

Gemma Okell, Director of Blackheath HallsE: G.Okell@blackheathhalls.com

Isobel Turner, Development Manager E: i.turner@trinitylaban.ac.uk

Or telephone for a private conversation to find out more: 020 8318 9758.