The Public, West Bromwich facts for kids
The Public was a special building in West Bromwich, England. It was designed to be many things at once: an art gallery, a place for events, and even a home for small businesses. It was a big part of a plan to make West Bromwich a more exciting place, with new shops and entertainment coming to the area.
Sadly, The Public closed its doors in November 2013. But it didn't stay empty for long! In October 2014, the building reopened as part of Sandwell College. This meant it became a place for students to learn, especially those studying after high school.
Even though it was meant to be a leading art center, in 2013, it was announced that Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council was talking about letting Sandwell College use The Public. The college needed more space because so many students wanted to join their sixth-form program (which is like the last two years of high school in the UK).
The Public was very popular! In 2012–2013, about 380,000 people visited the building. That was a huge increase from the year before. The main goal of The Public was to be a place where people could create art, make things, and enjoy what others had made. One newspaper, The Guardian, even called it "a playground for adults," which shows how fun and interactive it was.
The building also helped the local economy. It was home to 27 small companies and the Sandwell Arts Trust, which managed the building. Together, these groups employed about 120 people. Plus, 120 more people were learning digital media skills there.
A local newspaper, the Express and Star, which had been critical before, said in 2012 that The Public was finally becoming a success. But just over a year later, on November 23, 2013, The Public closed for good. The building was officially reopened as a sixth form college by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, on October 1, 2014.
About The Public
The idea for The Public came from a group called Jubilee Arts, started in 1974. Their goal was to make life better for local people through art. They dreamed of a building that would be a piece of art itself. It would look interesting and challenging, and it would be a place for community groups to meet and continue their artistic work.
A famous British architect named Will Alsop was chosen to design the building. Construction started in May 2003. The project faced many challenges, including going over budget. Some of the groups supporting the project even went out of business.
The Public finally opened its doors to visitors in 2008, starting with the ground floor. The rest of the building, including ramps and digital artworks, was finished in 2009. The entire building was completed in 2010. This included opening its conference rooms and finishing the office spaces.
Sandwell Arts Trust, formed in August 2009, was in charge of running The Public. The building had many features, such as art exhibition areas, interactive art displays, a cafe, a theatre, meeting rooms, and office spaces. By June 2013, the Sandwell Arts Trust announced that over 1,000,000 people had visited The Public!
Art and Events
Even with all its early problems, The Public became a well-known landmark in the area. It attracted visitors from nearby towns and even further away. The building still needed some public money to run, but it also earned money by renting out spaces, having businesses as tenants, and hosting events. The plan was to earn even more money once the construction around the building was finished in 2013.
The art program at The Public showed works by famous modern artists. It also displayed art by local artists. This mix helped to make art more popular in an area where not many people had been involved in it before. In the summer of 2013, a major show called Ordinary/Extra/Ordinary featured art by well-known artists like Tracey Emin, David Shrigley, and Jeremy Deller. It also included new art from a Birmingham artist named Lucy McLauchlan. Later that summer, a show called the Annual Summer Open was planned to display local talent.
Past exhibitions included The Art of Motion, which showed work by Maurice Broomfield. There was also a project with local art groups and schools that celebrated the books of popular local authors Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Famous photographers like Martin Parr also shared their work.
The Public also hosted many different kinds of events. There were comedy shows with popular comedians like Al Murray, Jenny Eclair, and Alexei Sayle. Music events featured new and upcoming bands. Plus, there was a wide range of activities, from tea dancing to knitting, often led by people from the local community.
Building History
The construction and early years of The Public were very difficult. The project was highly debated and ran into money problems. Before it was supposed to open in July 2006, the project went into a special financial process called administration. This happened because the local council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, held back a final payment of £2 million.
There was also a big discussion about charging an entry fee of £6.95 to the gallery. These plans were eventually dropped. The Arts Council then agreed to give another £3 million grant. This allowed The Public to offer free entry to the gallery when it opened in 2008–2009.
In November 2004, Alsop Architects, the original designers, left the project. Another architect, Julian Flannery, then took over. He was responsible for the detailed design of the inside of the building and for making sure construction was finished. At that point, about one-third of the building was complete. In the summer of 2006, his team created new plans to finish the project. Several areas, like the Theatre, the Pink Tank Cafe, and a flexible space on Level 2, were completely redesigned.
After all these issues, the Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council took over the building in 2009. They created the Sandwell Arts Trust to manage and operate The Public.
Awards and Recognition
The Public received praise for its "exciting and vibrant lighting scheme." Kevan Shaw Lighting Design won the Lighting Design Awards in the Public Buildings Category on March 12, 2009. The designers said that the lighting was a key part of the building's experience. They used both color and movement to create amazing effects inside the building. The Public also has special lighting, like pink neon "scribbles" on the ceiling. It was even featured in the "1001 Buildings to See Before You Die List"!
