Culture and tourism recovery post Covid-19 hit by lock-downs
The restored Alexandra Palace Theatre (pre Covid-19 - image from FCB Studios) Future Cities Forum this week discussed the future of the cultural tourism post the pandemic in the light of new Coronavirus outbreaks in Europe. The Director of the Joan Miro Foundation in Barcelona, Marko Daniel, spoke about the experience of coming out of lock-down and then re-imposed restrictions in the city affecting visitors to the famous art museum and sculpture garden on Mont Juic, while the
Digital transformation across infrastructure must move at pace
Chief Digital Officer at Costain, Nathan Marsh, has been speaking about the importance of driving digital transformation at pace across infrastructure. Nathan joined our Infrastructure 2020 forum at HSF in London last February describing the challenge of joining up physical and digital infrastructure. He is now moving the debate towards the recognition of the value of digital transformation across infrastructure to UK society. He stated that it is not just about improving peo
Bolton moves forward with £250 million Crompton Place shopping centre development
Victoria Square Bolton (CGI from Chapman Taylor) Planning permission has been granted for the £250 million replacement of Crompton Place Shopping Centre, a development which lies at the heart of Bolton Council's £1.5 billion town centre master-plan. The development includes a 110-bedroom hotel, 150 homes, 10,500 square metres of office space and a mixed-use retail, leisure, dining and events space, dubbed 'Bolton Works' designed to accommodate independent retailers and food o
Manchester City Council asks for multi-million pound package to re-think culture
Render of foyer at the Factory, the cultural venue centrepiece of St John's Manchester development (OMA for developers Allied London and Manchester City Council) Manchester City Council has written an open letter to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak asking for an immediate life-line of £71.8 million to help the city repair, restart and rethink cultural life as the sector emerges from lockdown. The figure has been calculated following
Paisley Museum receives major award from the Wolfson Foundation
Paisley Museum will receive £200,000 in capital funding towards its transformation into a world-class cultural destination from the Wolfson Foundation. More that 80 grants have been announced by the foundation with Paisley Museum receiving the highest heritage grant outside London. When Paisely Museum reopens it is expected to attract 125,000 visits each year from Scotland, the UK and overseas and provide a £72 million economic boost to the area over the next 30 years. The £4
Rapid Response Fund provides new works for Hove Museum
Image from 'Losing Venus' Exhibition at the Pitt-Rivers Museum Oxford by Matt J Smith (2020) The Contemporary Art Society Rapid Response Fund has bought 12 ceramic and three tapestry works by Mark Smith, which will form a central focus for the displays at Hove Museum when it reopens. Much of Matt Smith's work explores and comments on marginalised history and it will form a key inspiration for activity sessions as the museum expands its work with groups with varied critical so
1904 London music venue survival hangs in the balance
Bush Hall auditorium interior (LB Hammersmith & Fulham) A second world war soup kitchen, former dance hall and current music venue has seen £30,000 of crowd funding to save it having been thrown into financial problems due to Covid-19. London's ornate Bush Hall built in 1904 which has been a rehearsal room for The Who and Cliff Richard has received a surge of support from fans of the music venue in Shepherd's Bush. The money raised has been vital for short-term survival but w
Cities and the shaping of public policy post Covid-19
The University of Manchester has announced a new multi-million pound four-year project looking specifically at policy-making in Westminster and Whitehall and also at cities and regions post Covid-19 with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology as a key partner. The University is to take part in the national project in partnership with UCL and universities of Cambridge, Nottingham and Northumbria as well as Parliament, Government and policy organisations to explore
Oxford's Boswells department store to be turned into hotel post Covid-19
Boswells department store before closure in Oxford (Courtesy: The Oxford Magazine) Future Cities Forum has been following the fate of Britain's traditional department stores, which have been closing and presenting a concern for the future health of the high street. We have reported on Exeter's House of Fraser store which is being developed by Prydis as a hotel with roof top bar overlooking the Norman cathedral. Now Boswells in Oxford which closed in 2019 after nearly 300 year