working together

At Oakmoor Deeley we are placing great emphasis on creativity within the city.

To that end, we sponsored two events which helped the city come alive during the summer. Belgrade Plaza was the chief sponsor for both the stage area for the opening ceremony of the International Children’s Games and the specialist international artists appearing on the day.

We also sponsored the Godiva Carnival Procession on Saturday, July 9, which attracted around 100,000 visitors to the city centre.

The games’ Opening Ceremony and the Godiva Carnival were the most ambitious outdoor events that city artists have ever created in partnership with Coventry schools and community groups.

The events featured large-scale structures, moving platforms, amazing costumes, 100 drummers, choirs, aerialists, pyrotechnics and theatre performers.

Hamish Glen, of the Belgrade Theatre - whose Events and Special Projects Team created and produced the ICG Opening Ceremony and the Godiva Carnival - said: “I am delighted that the excellent relationship between the theatre and Oakmoor Deeley continues to thrive with this sponsorship”.

“The Belgrade was excited to have been asked to put together the Opening Ceremony of the International Children’s Games, the most prestigious international sporting event taking place in Britain this year and again to mount the carnival, which for the first time joined forces with the Godiva Procession. Both events were highly successful”.

We hope you all have happy memories of these events!

We believe our development at Belgrade Plaza will fit in perfectly with the refurbishment that is taking place at the theatre nearby.

The £11m proposed plan to redevelop the Belgrade Theatre includes a seven-storey extension to create a new second auditorium with flexible staging and 250 – 300 seats.

Plans feature a new double-height glazed main entrance from Bond Street, a rehearsal facility and an outside terrace. Lifts will service all floors of the building and there will be an increase in the number of toilets. The existing listed 1950s Belgrade building will be refurbished to include new ventilation for the 850 seat main house.

The new design has been created by London architects Stanton Williams, whose award- winning projects have included the refurbishment of the Royal National Theatre in London and The Gas Hall in Birmingham.

The proposed scheme has been supported with a funding package of £10m, including £3.34m from Arts Council England's new capital programme and £2.7m from Coventry City Council. Other funds include £1.2m from the European Regional Development Fund and £2.343m from Advantage West Midlands.

A private sector campaign that was set up to raise the remaining £1.1m is now over three quarters of the way to target.

Oakmoor Deeley, Coventry City Council and the Belgrade Theatre are working together to ensure that the two schemes complement each other and also bring in the redevelopment of Belgrade Square as a more usable and vibrant space.