UPDATE: Please take the time to read our announcement. Ristorante Café Arena is open as normal.
Over the last few months the Roundhouse Team has been working in collaboration with Beatfreeks and The Black Heritage Walks Network to develop a new audio tour alongside five incredibly passionate and talented Birmingham/West Midlands-based young people of colour: Anah, Ilhan, Tia, Nina and Amirah. The aim of the project is to support these ‘Activators’ in researching and producing a Black History Audio Tour of Ladywood (aka the area surrounding the Roundhouse).
The weekly sessions so far have covered a range of topics; from the nitty gritty technical aspects of mapping, researching and producing an audio tour for the GeoTourist app, to the more creative and community focused aspects such as; interview role-play, a taster walking tour, and rating the ‘spiciness’ of tour narrators’ delivery style on the Nando’s Peri-Peri scale (anything Lemon & Herb and below is a no go – just so you know). We’ll be working with the activators into next year and we’re looking to have the tour ready to launch on the GeoTourist app in Spring 2022. Watch this space for more updates.
The Roundhouse, 1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham, B16 8AE
0121 716 4077
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Registered Charity No. 1169232
Since 2021, the Roundhouse has also been a base for guided walks, kayak tours, boat trips and other activities. Whilst these have been well received, rising external costs mean this element of Roundhouse Birmingham is no longer providing the sustainable income we need to fund the ongoing care of this historic building. For this reason, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the leisure activity offer and visitor centre.
The office spaces will remain open as usual. Visitors can still access the site (see www.arenaltd.co.uk for opening hours) and Ristorante Caffe Arena will continue to welcome visitors.
We’re hugely proud of what the Roundhouse Birmingham team has achieved, and we’d also like to thank all of our visitors for their support. The trustees of Roundhouse Birmingham remain fully committed to caring for this important part of Birmingham’s heritage.
