One of the last remaining Victorian music halls in the country has unveiled an extensive new schools programme, featuring an in-depth review of its historic saloon bar past and access to a new soundproofed music studio, as well as site tours.
The Malt Cross, a traditional music hall situated just off the Market Square in the heart of Nottingham, recently underwent extensive renovations thanks to a £1.38m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and is attracting increasing numbers of visitors.
Able to accommodate groups of up to 45 students per visit, the Malt Cross presents cross-curricular learning opportunities for secondary and primary schools, incorporating music and performance skills, arts and crafts activity sessions, heritage workshops and local history studies.
Standing on one of the oldest streets in Nottingham, the Malt Cross is surrounded by history and has its own fascinating stories to tell, from the newly opened historic sandstone cave below (which can be toured), to the Henderson Art Gallery and new dedicated heritage and arts workshop spaces above.
Jo Cox-Brown chief executive of the Malt Cross Trust said: “We’ve a wonderful new educational outreach programme that enables schools to enjoy our heritage and creativity in a way tailored to their individual needs. Our sessions buzz with activity and the feedback from pupils and teachers is proving really positive. Among the interesting sessions on offer is a whole school talk, a detailed children’s performance workshop, film show and artefact analysis.
“We are trying to capture the imagination of youngsters by bringing to life some of the vibrancy of the Victorian music hall era and grounding it in skills that can be used today.”
