Birmingham music icon Toyah has a hand in Symphony Hall redevelopment
“I want the caption to be: I demolished it,” said Birmingham punk star Toyah Willcox, as she was photographed alongside local musician Rosie Tee outside the redevelopment of Symphony Hall’s foyer this week.
The Birmingham musicians were at the world-renowned music venue in the city centre to witness progress on the Making an Entrance redevelopment, which will create a performance space for talented local artists as part of a daily programme with free and affordable performances.
After the viewing of the Symphony Hall foyer redevelopment, Toyah met Town Hall Symphony Hall members and patrons to answer questions about her career, her current activities – including a performance as part of Electric Ladies of the 80s with Hazel O’Connor at Town Hall on April 25 – and her ambitions for the future.
Kings Heath musician Toyah has amassed 13 top 40 singles, recorded 25 albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in more than 20 feature films and presented hundreds of television programmes.
In 2001 Toyah was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central England in Birmingham, and in 2012 was awarded a star on the Kings Heath Walk of Fame.
In 2016 she received a star on Birmingham’s Broad Street Walk of Stars.
Rosie Tee is a songwriter, composer and performer based in Birmingham.
Speaking of the redevelopment, Rosie said: “Through opportunities presented to me by Town Hall Symphony Hall, I’ve been given a supportive platform for my contemporary and experimental take on song-writing to bloom.
"This has included an unplugged lunchtime, followed by a performance with my full band as part of THSH Jazzlines programme alongside friend and BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Xhosa Cole.
"I can’t wait to see the new development and how positively it’s going to impact the next generation of musicians."
The Making an Entrance project is a major transformation of Symphony Hall’s public foyer areas.
In addition to a state-of-the-art foyer performance space for free and low-cost activities, there will be dedicated spaces able to host learning and participation project.
For more information on shows at the venue, click here.
