About us
About us
Building a vibrant community facility
Brierley Hill Civic Hall has been host to artists, performers and theatre production since the 1960s and is in the heart of our community. But in recent years, its usage had dropped while costs have remained or risen. The Hall was often closed during the day and it was not operating at its full potential as a hive for all sorts of activity.
Rejuvenating the Civic
In February 2015, Dudley Council entrusted Dudley CVS with rejuvenating Brierley Hill Civic Hall on an 18-month trial. This is part of Dudley MBC's move to become a 'community council', a council that enables and supports communities to do things for themselves rather than being a body that does things to or for people and communities.
During the trial
In the first two months of the trial, Dudley CVS:
- built relationships with existing users, schools, colleges, voluntary organisations, promoters, artists, businesses and entertainers.
- welcomed and engaged anyone who wanted to make great things happen at the Civic. In March 2016, Dudley CVS threw open the doors of the Civic. People who had never been before toured the space, sharing their ideas and inspiration, while past users shared their experiences. Around 60 people joined Dudley CVS to share their inspiration. The report (written and visual) can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/ocq2ncj
- shared and held open conversations with the media, residents, colleges, businesses and promoters. Conversations have been shared more than 200 times online.
Dudley CVS is looking forward to building upon this, to encourage local talent to use the Civic Hall as a showcase for their skills and ensure that the Civic reflects local heritage and is a vibrant community hub for everyone