BBC Prom puts Lincoln Drill Hall in the National Spotlight

BBC Prom puts Lincoln Drill Hall in the national spotlight

Lincoln Drill Hall, a not for profit arts centre in Lincoln is gaining national attention as the only venue outside of London to be hosting a BBC Prom.

It’s just the second time that a Prom has ever been held outside London.

Following last year’s successful BBC Prom in Hull, Lincoln Drill Hall will stage a performance of Stravinsky’s First World War music-theatre piece The Soldier’s Tale on Saturday 4th August with the internationally renowned conductor, William Conway and the Hebrides Ensemble.

This event is a huge coup for the venue and city, with the concert having been highlighted in national media including The Daily Mail, The Sun, London Evening Standard, The Times, The i and the BBC which have all put Lincoln Drill Hall in the spotlight.

Lincoln Drill Hall was chosen to host the BBC Prom due to its strong connections to the First World War. The building was originally the home to the Fourth Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, which was deployed to the Western Front in 1914.

Over the course of the twentieth century the Drill Hall moved into public use before being refurbished as an arts centre for the city in 2004. The venue has been owned and operated by Lincoln Arts Trust charity since 2010, although cuts to funding mean its future is now uncertain.

To sustain the Drill Hall’s programme of innovative arts events and participation opportunities, the venue is increasingly dependent on public donations. Currently, every pound that’s donated to support the venue is match-funded by Arts Council England through its Catalyst: Evolve initiative and so the team is hopeful that the BBC Prom will help to increase the money it can raise.

CEO of Lincoln Drill Hall, Chris Kirkwood said:

“It’s an honour to be making history as the second venue to ever host a BBC Prom outside of London and it’s a big boost for the Drill Hall team who work hard to provide top quality arts for the city of Lincoln.

“Our historical connections with the Great War makes us the perfect venue to host Stravinsky’s The Soldier Tale and it’s wonderful to be able bring this piece to a building where the young men who fought for our country on the Western Front once trained.”

“Lincoln Drill Hall has been at the heart of the community for 128 years but the programme of events we host at Lincoln Drill Hall is only possible thanks to the generosity of the community. We’re proud to host landmark events like this which put Lincoln on the map, but we have a real challenge facing us raising enough funds to keep offering our unique services to the people of Lincoln.

“Being able to host a BBC Prom, and getting national attention as a result, means an awful lot to us. We hope this level of attention will help us to widen our range of audiences and supporters, allowing us to continue to support local, homegrown talent with small-scale productions, host major national touring shows, regular music gigs and live comedy as well as a host a wide range of participation groups for the community.”

“I can’t wait to see the BBC Proms come to Lincoln. We’re really proud to be making history once again.”