After the Launch

Birmingham’s Eastside became a melting pot of creativity on Thursday 9th June with the much anticipated launch of the city’s newest multi-purpose music studios, education and training venue - Heath Mill Studios.  

Home to Access to Music, the UK’s leading popular music college, and Armstrong Learning, which provides employability advice and guidance, the state of the art facility is located in Digbeth, around the corner from the Custard Factory.

The launch was a celebration of education, young talent and culture and provided local industry and council representatives, creative entrepreneurs and other key figures from the city with an insight into what the centre offers and exactly how its many facets can benefit local communities, as well as individual students and musicians. 

Students provided guests with tours of the brand-new premises, including two state-of-the-art recording studios, an eighty-capacity performance space,  Apple Mac labs and ten rehearsal rooms.

When asked about Heath Mill Studios’ role within Digbeth’s creative community, Centre Director Graeme Howell said:

“The range of different events happening this evening highlights one of the main reasons we chose Digbeth as the location for our new facility. Over the next few months we want to begin to develop our offer as part of this rich tapestry of culture and become a key facility not only for our own ambitions but in support of other creative ideas.”

Official Launch a Week Away

Now only a week away! We are all very excited to be opening our doors to the Birmingham public on 9th June. Live music, food, networking and more - come and see what Heath Mill Studios has to offer the West Midlands creative industry.

Triple-Launch in Digbeth!

We are proud to be teaming up with BASS Festival and the Custard Factory's newest restaurant; Bay Leaf, for a whole night of exciting launch events in the city's creative quarter.

The creative extravaganza will kick off at 5.00pm on Thursday 9th June with our exciting launch, featuring live performances from students that attend the college and guests tours of our centre and its state of the art facilities. Bangladeshi restaurant; Bay Leaf, the latest addition to the Custard Factory, will serve culinary delights throughout the launch, reflecting Birmingham’s multiculturalism and compounding our celebration of music, food, culture, creativity and learning. 

The night will then continue with the launch of the 2011 BASS Festival (British Arts and Street Sounds)starting at 8.00pm at The Rainbow, organised by Punch Records. BASS Festival will be celebrating its sixth year, and together with us here at Heath Mill Studios, we will be using this launch day as a chance to shout about the vibrant community that resides in Digbeth. Both organisations are creative-industry focused, with Ammo Talwar the founder and Chief Executive of Punch Records using this occasion to welcome Heath Mill Studios to the Digbeth area and creative industries.

We aim to continue to raise the profile of Digbeth and the West Midlands through creative forms, so watch this space! Centre Director, Graeme Howell said "The range of different events happening this evening highlights one of the main reasons we chose Digbeth as the location for our new facility.  We have had a long standing partnership with Punch and it’s great to be able to celebrate the launch of Heath Mill Studios alongside the launch of BASS, but students have already taken advantage of the Flatpack and Fierce Festivals to inspire themselves as well as attending events at East Side Projects and Vivid.  Over the next few months we want to begin to develop our offer as part of this rich tapestry of culture and become a key facility not only for our own ambitions but in support of others creative ideas.”

Heath Mill Studios are also home to two fantastic music and education organisations. Access to Music is the UK’s leading provider of popular music education, training and consultancy. Along with professional qualifications it provides vocationally related services that have taken inspiration from direct involvement with the music industry. Armstrong Learning was founded in 2001 and it provides specialist training and support for people in the creative industries. Heath Mill Studios not only provides an academic environment but also teaches skills to help maintain a career and longevity within the music industry.

To come and share our passion for music and education just email info@heathmillstudios.com to be put on the event guestlist. See you there!

Calling all musical talent of Brum!

Fancy a career in the music industry? Need advice on how to get there and what qualifications you’ll need?

Come to the Access to Music open day at Heath Mill Studios on Saturday May 14^th between 11am-1.30pm.

Heath Mill Studios is a brand-new training centre in the heart of Birmingham’s music, arts and media scene; Digbeth. Round the corner from the Custard Factory and just a 10-15 minute walk from the Bullring. Heath Mill Studios are your one-stop-shop for music education and training, boasting an eighty capacity live performance space, six rehearsal rooms and two recording studios, technology suites and multi-purpose teaching areas.

The Studios are also home to the UK’s leading provider of popular music education, training and consultancy; Access to Music. Having provided quality music education and training for 13 years to over 300 students per year, Access to Music have developed close relationships with the regional creative industries including, Kerrang! Radio, Punch Records, Creative Futures, Fused Magazine and many others. If you want advice and guidance from industry professionals, high quality and up-to-date music training and insight, as well as invaluable links within the music industry, Access to Music is for you.

Armstrong Learning is also located at Heath Mill Studios and will be present at the Open Day. They not only provide employability skills, mentoring and creative industry advice but help people find sustained employment to assist their creative aspirations, helping people find work at Polydor Records, DJ Magazine and Futureproof Records.

Specialist advisers at Armstrong Learning offer bespoke advice to thousands of people about all aspects of working in the music industry; from promotion, networking, CVs and employment to action planning and business issues. Famous alumni include DJ Ironik and Adam Anderson from Hurts!

Open to prospective students, parents of students, heads of music, press, local musicians and other key figures, the Open Day is a great opportunity to come and discover exactly what the studios offer and to enrol on one of their fantastic courses. Open 11am-1.30pm, the Open Day will introduce groups of 10 every half-hour to the Studios, including a tour, live demonstrations and performances from students and the world DMC DJ Champion DJ Switch. There will also be opportunities for one-to-one talks with tutors and to enrol. You must enrol by the end of July for courses and apprenticeships starting in September 2011.

To find out more information please visit www.accesstomusic.co.uk or email atm.birmingham@accesstomusic.co.uk. To book a place on the open day please ring 0330 123 3155.