St George’s Bristol, a registered charity, has undertaken its ambitious construction plans to expand and futureproof the venue. The ‘Building a Sound Future’ project has seen the creation of a two-storey modern extension to the existing Georgian building, with space for artists, students, daytime visitors and evening audiences, as well as corporate or private hire.

Designed by award-winning architects Patel Taylor, the extension blends into the existing neo-Classical building – a former church by eminent architect Sir Robert Smirke and opened in 1823. The extension also boasts a number of environmental credentials.

Since it was established as a music venue in 1976, St George’s Bristol has programmed some of the world’s leading names, from Bjork to Sheku Kanneh-Mason, former BBC Young Musician of the Year. It is hoped that the new pavilion-style extension will support St George’s to reach its full potential as one of the UK’s premier concert halls.

Suzanne Rolt, chief executive of St George’s Bristol, commented: “Triodos stepped in to help St George’s Bristol at a critical time, providing the loan that enabled us to bridge our funding gap and secure plans to transform the organisation through an ambitious capital project. 

“Triodos staff understood the challenges we were facing and supported our vision of ‘Building a Sound Future’; they’ve never been anything less that totally engaged and always there to provide friendly and well-informed advice. From that initial meeting we now have a professional and mutually beneficial relationship that continues to offer new opportunities for us to work together for the good of our community and for culture in the city.”

Beyond the building project, St George’s has a commitment to increase opportunities to make music and art a part of people’s everyday lives. Activities include working with community radio station Ujima and taking world-class classical musicians from Chineke! Orchestra to play to schoolchildren and refugees in Bristol’s most disadvantaged wards.

On 24 April, St George’s Bristol will be the venue for Triodos Bank’s 2019 Annual Meeting, which brings together customers of the ethical bank, sustainability leaders and members of the general public to learn more about the mission of Triodos and be inspired to make money work for positive social, environmental and cultural change.

Oliver Baxter, relationship manager at Triodos Bank, added: “Not only is St George’s Bristol a neighbour to us at our UK headquarters in Bristol, but it also is closely aligned with our mission and values as a bank. The new extension gives the organisation an opportunity to reach even more people with its programme of music and talks. 

“We lend solely to organisations that promote positive change for people or the planet, and St George’s is a great example of this. Arts and culture can help overcome societal issues and support communities to unite and flourish, which is why we lend to this sector. We see that art improves quality of life for all and can elevate us beyond a purely materialistic society.”

Triodos Bank has almost 25 years’ experience in lending to ethical and sustainable projects, and lent over £22 million to arts and cultural causes in the UK in 2018.

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Images available upon request.

For further information please contact:

Ellie James

Ed Grattan

St George's Bristol

St George's Bristol is one of the country's leading concert halls and recording studios. It boasts a superb acoustic and unique atmosphere which attracts the world's best artists. A full and vibrant programme, with over 250 events each year, makes it an incredibly popular venue for all kinds of music (classical, jazz, folk, world music) plus spoken word, and family and children's events.

In addition to hosting the best live music from around the world, its Learning and Participation projects bring thousands of children to the venue to participate in workshops, to stage their own performances and to watch artists rehearse and perform, and takes musicians into schools and the community for workshops and interactive concerts.

St George’s Bristol has invested £6.3 million to secure St George’s future as a world-class performance venue, transforming the visitor experience, with a bold new extension designed by award-winning architects Patel Taylor.

St George’s is a creative space for music and ideas, open all day six days per week and late into the evening, with a café bar, and heritage exhibition ‘Our Story’. The venue is available to hire for recording, and for corporate and private events including wedding receptions, conferences, and filming.

www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:          @stgeorgesbris                  #FeelMoved     

St George’s Bristol is a registered charity, number 295178

About Triodos Bank

Triodos Bank is a global pioneer in sustainable banking using the power of finance to invest in projects that are good for people and the planet. Triodos uses its €15.5 billion in assets to create social, environmental and cultural value in a transparent and sustainable way.

With UK operations based in Bristol, Triodos Bank has branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Germany and an agency in France. Globally, Triodos Bank has microfinance projects in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and is a founding member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a worldwide network of 54 banks seeking to transform finance into a vehicle of positive influence.

Triodos Bank NV (incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands with limited liability, registered in England and Wales BR3012). Authorised by the Dutch Central Bank and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.