History

Introduction | Awards | Funders and Partners | David Garrick's Life

Awards

The Lichfield Garrick aims to re-invigorate contemporary Lichfield using the precedent of its 18th century cultural innovators Samuel Johnson, Erasmus Darwin and the man from who the venue takes its name David Garrick. David Garrick was a towering figure in 18th century Britain.

By introducing a naturalistic style of acting, advanced technical facilities, transforming the way audiences interacted with performance and introducing sound financial management, David Garrick revolutionised the English stage.

The Lichfield Garrick enables Lichfield residents for the first time in 200 years to experience some of Britain's best entertainers performing on their doorstep.

At the same time the Lichfield Garrick's programme is attracting visitors from a 50 mile radius, boosting the night time economy of the city and helping the District Council in its aim to re-establish Lichfield as a Centre of Culture in the West Midlands.

The Lichfield Garrick has quickly established itself as a training ground for local talent and a positive focus for local people who want to have careers in the Cultural sector.

The venue has also become the home of the areas amateur arts, providing a high quality and supportive environment for Lichfield District's many companies and also companies from as far away as West Bromwich and Walsall.

As a department within Lichfield District Council the Lichfield Garrick is helping to fulfil one of the Council's main strategic objectives of providing its residents with "a better quality of life".

Indeed the development of the Lichfield Garrick was a response to the developing needs of Lichfield District's local community and involved a very high level of local community participation in both development and design stage.

Following the consultation some difficult decisions had to be made about what would be included in the final design and what would not.

In this vital moment the Architects and the Officers of Lichfield District Council lead from the front whilst paying close attention to the needs of the public.

The Lichfield Garrick, a redevelopment of an old municipal civic hall into a 21st century theatre, is an excellent example of sustainable building.

The sustainable building methods used to construct the Lichfield Garrick made it a demonstration project for Movement for Innovation.

Boasting a natural ventilation system the building is kept cool in the summer months and the air is kept fresh all year round, with no negative effect on the environment.

The cooling and heating of the building is managed by a computer generated Building Management System which only leaps into action when the building is in use keeping the management of the building energy efficient.

It is this innovative air handling system that was the deciding factor in the building being nominated for and winning many awards.