Lifestyle

Culture

The city's cultural scene has both breadth and depth, ranging from theatres, arts and music venues - Birmingham is a growing cultural powerhouse.

• The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
  One of Birmingham's hidden jewels, it is one of Britain's most impressive small picture galleries, housing an outstanding collection of Renaissance and Impressionist art.
  
    
• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
  The Museum has the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite works in the world, as well as Old Masters and Impressionists. Recently the modern and contemporary collections have had a new home created in the Waterhall Gallery of Modern Art.
  
  
• Birmingham Royal Ballet
  The former Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet has gone from strength to strength since establishing their home at the redeveloped Birmingham Hippodrome. More recently the BRB has attracted the renowned Elmhurst School for Dance, which relocated to Birmingham in Autumn 2004.  
  
  
• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
  Achieved world-wide acclaim under Sir Simon Rattle, the orchestra is now led by renowned Music Director Sakari Oramo, and is reconfirming its credentials as a major player on the world stage.
  
  
• Elmhurst School for Dance
  One of the oldest and most successful vocational dance schools in the world, has relocated to Birmingham and opened its doors to its first intake of new students in October 2004. Facilities at the new school include a 350 seat studio theatre; eight dance studios; exercise centre, theatre workshop; and first-class boarding accommodation.
  
  
• Ikon Gallery
  An internationally acclaimed art venue, which is a showcase for innovative and occasionally controversial contemporary work.
  
  
• The Symphony Hall
  Part of the NEC Group, the hall has outstanding acoustics and is one of the best concert halls in the world, attracting over 375,000 visitors each year.

add to print cart | view print cart