Warwick Arts Centre facts for kids
The Warwick Arts Centre is a huge place for arts at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. Lots of people visit it every year. They come to see over 3,000 different events. These include plays, concerts, dance shows, comedy, art displays, movies, and talks. There are also fun events for families.
It's the biggest arts centre in the Midlands area of England. It's also the largest of its kind in the whole UK, except for the Barbican Centre in London.
The centre has many different areas. There's a huge concert hall that can hold 1,500 people. It also has a theatre, three movie screens, and an art gallery called the Mead Gallery. There's a studio, a conference room, and places to learn. You can also find a café and bars there. The University of Warwick's Music Centre is also here. It has rooms for practicing music. Music groups and societies use these rooms to rehearse.
History of the Arts Centre
The idea for the Arts Centre came from Jack Butterworth. He was the first vice-chancellor of the University. An American supporter named Helen Martin also helped a lot. She was a secret helper at first.
The building was planned in 1970. It first opened its doors in October 1974. Architects Renton, Howard, Wood Associates designed it. The building even won an award for its design.
At first, it had a theatre, a smaller studio theatre, a conference room, and a music centre. The centre grew bigger over time. The larger Butterworth Hall was added in 1981. The Mead Gallery and a cinema were added in 1986.
The Arts Centre had a big makeover that lasted four years. This was the largest update in its history. It reopened for events in October 2021. The work included making the old spaces much better. It also got a new main entrance area, three new cinemas, and a new restaurant.
In January 2022, the Mead Gallery reopened in a new spot. It is now 6,458 square feet. This makes it the biggest modern art display space in the region.
Many famous people have visited the Arts Centre. These include writers like Terry Pratchett. Actors like Jeremy Irons and Hugh Laurie have also been there. Comedians like Jimmy Carr, Eddie Izzard, and Russell Brand have performed. Musicians like Kirsty McColl, Yehudi Menuhin, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy, and Evelyn Glennie have played there. Groups like Motionhouse, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, and The Smiths have also visited.
People have said that Warwick Arts Centre is "one of the best places in the Midlands to watch theatre, comedy and other shows." They also say the building shows "the very best in contemporary art, events and entertainment."
Mead Gallery: Art for Everyone
The Mead Gallery is the special art space at Warwick Arts Centre. It opened in May 1986. It was named after Phil Mead. He was a businessman from Coventry who helped the University and the Arts Centre.
The gallery was designed by Renton Howard Wood Levine. It is a large space shaped like the letter 'L'. It has three white cube areas that can be split into three smaller galleries.
The Mead Gallery opened with two art shows. One show was called Surprises In Store: Fifty Years of British Art. It showed art by famous artists like Barbara Hepworth and Bridget Riley. The other show looked at stage designs and sculptures by Fernand Léger.
Many other artists have shown their work at the Mead Gallery. These include sculptors like Henry Moore and Elisabeth Frink. Photographers like Robert Doisneau and Dorothea Lange have also had their pictures displayed. The printmaker Hokusai also had work there. More recent artists like Tracey Emin, Grayson Perry, and Olafur Eliasson have also shown their art.
The gallery closed in 2018 for the Arts Centre's big redevelopment project. It reopened in January 2022. The first new exhibition was called Rana Begum: Dappled Light.
The Koan: A Mysterious Sculpture
There is a very special sculpture outside the Arts Centre. It is called White Koan. The artist is Liliane Lijn, who was born in America. The University bought it in 1972.
The sculpture is shaped like a cone and it spins. It also has parts that light up. It mixes industrial materials with artistic ideas. Liliane Lijn is known for exploring how art, science, and technology work together. She also looks at ideas from Eastern philosophy.
Some fun stories have grown up about the sculpture since it was put there. One story says it was the nose cone from a failed Apollo space mission. Another story says there are several nightclubs hidden underneath it!
White Koan is part of the Sculpture Park at the University. This park has art by other famous sculptors too. These include Richard Deacon, Peter Randall-Page, and Laura Ford.]]]]
