Drum Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
The Drum is an arts centre
in the Newtown
area of Aston
, in Birmingham
, England
, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for Black British
and British Asian
arts. Activities include music, drama, spoken word, visual arts, comedy and dance.
, which was a major variety theatre between 1908 and 1960. The Aston Hippodrome saw the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Judy Garland and Morecambe and Wise performing there. The building was demolished in 1980, but in 1991 Birmingham City Council
set up a project to re-launch a cultural facility on the site to specifically reflect the highly diverse culture of the surrounding area. The Drum started hosting events in 1994, the first event in 1994 was an exhibition called Negritude. In 1996 the famous celebrity Cleo Lane accepted the lottery cheque on behalf of The Drum. The Drum was fully opened in 1998 and hosted its very first ticketed event.
Arts centre
An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
in the Newtown
Newtown, Birmingham
Newtown is an inner city area of Birmingham, England, to the north of the city centre. It is located in the Aston council ward, in the council constituency of Ladywood. The housing in the area is made up of a number of tower blocks, maisonettes and terraced houses.Newtown is centred around the busy...
area of Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
, in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for Black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
and British Asian
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
arts. Activities include music, drama, spoken word, visual arts, comedy and dance.
History
The Drum occupies the site of the former Aston HippodromeAston Hippodrome
The Aston Hippodrome , also known as The Hipp, was a popular theatre in the Aston area of Birmingham, England.It was opened to the public on December 7, 1908 after the completion of construction at a cost of £10,000...
, which was a major variety theatre between 1908 and 1960. The Aston Hippodrome saw the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Judy Garland and Morecambe and Wise performing there. The building was demolished in 1980, but in 1991 Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
set up a project to re-launch a cultural facility on the site to specifically reflect the highly diverse culture of the surrounding area. The Drum started hosting events in 1994, the first event in 1994 was an exhibition called Negritude. In 1996 the famous celebrity Cleo Lane accepted the lottery cheque on behalf of The Drum. The Drum was fully opened in 1998 and hosted its very first ticketed event.