News / Arts
Bright future for disabled musicians
Plans for the Colston Hall to host the UK’s first national centre for advanced training for young musicians with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) are due to be unveiled on Tuesday at the House of Commons.
The proposed centre is part of Bristol Music Trust’s ambitious £45m transformation of the Colston Hall and comes as two new artist impressions of new performance space in its historic cellars are revealed.
is needed now More than ever
Many of the current facilities at the venue are out of date and inaccessible to disabled people.
The future fully accessible education and concert hall facilities hope to exceed anything previously built in the UK, with three cutting edge performance areas and learning spaces adaptable to the widest range of needs.
Bristol Music Trust chief executive Louise Mitchell said: “Bristol continues to build a national reputation as a city where disabled people can achieve their music potential and where we confront perceptions about disability.”
She added: “Our multi-million pound Hall transformation offers the opportunity for the South West to take the next step. We can shape the future about how young musicians with SEND are trained to play and perform. One of our aims is to challenge the national perception of SEND music and create a national profile like that achieved in Paralympic sport.”
Bristol City Council, the government and Arts Council England have allocated £25 million between them to the Colston Hall’s redevelopment target.
Bristol Music Trust is now seeking more sources of funding, including trusts and foundations, companies and private donors, to reach the £45m target.
Read more: Beerd replaces Gordito at Colston Hall