Cinema
The Royalty started out as a cinema and we plan to bring back film to Harborne High Street. Small film clubs have become increasingly prevalent with strong audiences. Audiences not only attend to watch a film but to be part of a social gathering.
The Royalty will provide a venue to show classics, cult, and family films and be accessible to those not able or willing to visit the larger city centre or out of town film multiplex venues. Our discussions with other operatorshave indicated that 2 screens give greater flexibility
Film performances will be held in the dedicated art deco 50 seat cinema and the larger auditorium with seating for around 150.
The Royalty will also host film works by budding new directors as part of its remit.
Having local cinema on the High Street reduces the cost to our community of attending film by eliminating the cost of travelling to cinemas in the City Centre, potentially offering a cheaper ticket and enabling attendees to support the local High Street food and drink offering before and after performances which will support the local economy.
Live Performance and Streaming
Digital media has brought expanded opportunities for cinemas and theatres allowing them to stream live performance and events. Companies like the National Theatre, Royal Shakespear Company and Vienna Festival Ballet can extend their audience well beyond their normal venues bringing their performances to people all over the country.
Events like these would be part of the Royalty offering to the public at affordable prices, encouraging and developing new audiences to appreciate and understand the popularity of these different art forms. At the same time they provide an opportunity for increased income.
IMAGINE WATCHING NATIONAL THEATRE OR RSC PRODUCTIONS IN HARBORNE
The main auditorium with its 150+ seat capacity will have a stage area providing opportunities for a plethora of companies to provide a variety of performances. We have have already had enquiries already asking if we can provide a venue.
There are many other groups which look for venues to deliver special projects and co-productions of varying sizes. Groups offer dance education programmes, workshops and pre-vocational and accredited dance training to young people from diverse backgrounds and with varying abilities.
The Phoenix Dance Theatre presents approximately 200 performances a year mainly in the UK.
Visual Arts Studio
There is space at the Royalty for a studio to deliver visual and performing arts classes. The Royalty will host exhibitions of work in the Bradley gallery (named after the architect) cafe or auditorium as appropriate.
Kids Art Club
The club will provide a varied of workshops and activities for children and families. These will be run during the month and school holidays.
They may include puppet making, creative sculpture, origami and fun felt making.
Family drop in sessions to collaborate on larger pieces of artwork.
Exhibitions
Our objective is to continue to work with local amateur groups to offer the Royalty as a space for exhibitions, and to explore alternative ways of presenting art. There are several spaces which are well lit which will be well suited to providing gallery space. We will target new art exhibitions on a 2 month rolling programme whilst at the same time providing facilities for arts workshps.
Lunch Club
A weekly lunch club at the Royalty will provide an opportunity for pensioners to meet up in this special venue and take advantage of its catering facilities.
Occasional follow on activities such as films, talks, demonstrations, dance or musical performances could be arranged.
These will all serve to provide an encouragement and opportunity for local people, particularly pensioners, to meet up and socialise.
The drop off point will be available for use along with disabled access.
Pre School Club
The Royalty is ideally located within 300m of Harborne Primary School and ¼ mile from St Peters.
A future pre-school will open at around 7.30am from which time children can be safely dropped off.
Children will have the opportunity of being provided with breakfast and will then be walked the short distance to school.
An after school club will be available, with children collected from school and then brought back to enjoy the safe environment of the Royalty until collection by their parents.
We want to provide an opportunity for youngsters to grow up with a new Royalty (and who knows, maybe one day become Trustees).
Overview - Dance and drama
The Royalty will be the principal – and indeed, almost the only – supplier of learning and outreach through drama and dance in Harborne. The Royalty will provide a base for learning activities as well as offering our own educational dance and drama programmes. We hope that the building can become home to various Youth & Junior Theatre and Youth Dance Companies, Choirs and similar groups.
What do we anticipate taking place?
Youth Theatre and Dance classes providing several weekly dance classes catering for young people aged nine to sixteen-and-over, and weekly drama classes catering for young people aged four to sixteen-and-over.
Engaging young people in dance and drama classes has a proven track record of improving self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as reducing anti-social behaviour. These positive benefits are further enhanced by participation in public presentations of work undertaken at dance and drama classes.
We will encourage amateur productions to showcase the talent of the young people who participate in our learning and outreach schemes. The Royalty can perform a role in providing a theatre and rehearsal space for community and amateur productions. These productions, with volunteer actors, are of real importance, enhancing social cohesion and giving a positive and creative focus for local people. We are will commit to building and maintaining strong relationships with our community and amateur users, including encouraging first-time producers to form new drama companies and put on their own productions.
A Youth Card, which gives young people aged eighteen and under discounted tickets to attend almost all events, will be a way of attracting the involvement and support of younger members. encouraging young people to become regular arts attendees and helping young people spend their free time productively.
Partnership Arrangements
The new Royalty will inevitably have to go through a learning curve although we shall from the start employ staff with experience in our areas of aspiration. We will seek to build partnership and mentoring arrangements with other organisations whether local or national who can support us in our development, providing those organisations opportunities to extend their outreach and development programmes.