Colston Hall

Trustees now appointed to Bristol's Music Trust

December 2010

The new board of Trustees has now been appoined to run Bristol's Music Trust. Seventy applications were received from a wide cross section of local, regional and national people with a background in business, music, law, finance and education. As a result eight Trustees have been appointed to a Shadow Board and Henry Kenyon has been asked to be Chair for the transition period leading up to the likely transfer of responsibility for Colston Hall to the Trust in April.

The appointed members are:

Henry Kenyon - former partner for 20 years of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Vice Chair and Treasurer of CLICSargent Cancer Care for Children. Led the successful transformation of Speedwell Technology College to Bristol Brunel Academy.

Stuart Avery - Managing Director, e3 (UK digital agency of the year).

Michele Balfe - specialist employment, equality and discrimination solicitor with Beachcroft.

Marti Burgess - Solicitor at Metcalfes, Board member of African & Caribbean Chamber of Commerce, and director of an events and marketing consultancy.

Paul Fordham - General manager, Punch Records (Birmingham urban music development agency). Ran own promotions business for many years in Bristol and worked in Colston Hall developing the world music programme.

Marie McCluskey - Director, Swindon Dance. National role in developing youth dance, and awarded MBE for services to dance.

Poppy Stephenson - CEO, Bristol Festival Community Group and organiser of BrisFest, involving over 300 volunteers, for three years.

Simon Taylor - CEO, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and Chair, Association of British Orchestras.

Simon Chapman - Recently retired as the senior audit partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in the West and Wales having spent over 30 years with the firm. Member of the General and Sailing Committees of Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club.

James Wetz - Visiting Fellow at Bristol University Graduate School of Education, Fellow of the Centre for Social Policy at the Warren House Group at Dartington, a Fellow of the RSA, a lay member of Council at Bristol University and trustee of the ‘Bristol Ensemble’ He also sings with the Phoenix Choir in Bristol.

In addition, Cllr. Simon Cook, Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council, will represent BCC on the Board until formal appointments are made by the External Bodies Committee in May.

Background information about the Trust can be found further down this page. There is also information in the Bristol City Council scrutiny report (pdf) and the Bristol City Council cabinet report. See below for the article about the plans for this multi-purpose venue in Venue magazine.

For more information please email culturalchange [dot] office [at] bristol [dot] gov [dot] uk or call 0117 922 3686.

Colston Hall and The Bristol Music Trust

Bristol City Council's cabinet have established a Bristol Music Trust (BMT) as an independent music body.

BMT is now running Colston Hall instead of Bristol City Council. It is hoped the move will expand the appeal of the venue, which already hosts a wide range of entertainment from comedy to rock shows. The independent organisation will also help to support music in Bristol as a whole and help secure the long-term, sustainable future of Colston Hall.

Bristol City Council still owns the building, but all operational matters are the responsibility of the new board.

This is the space where we will keep you up to date on the development of this independent body.

If you have any questions about the development of the BMT please email culturalchange [dot] office [at] bristol [dot] gov [dot] uk

For more information, please read the Bristol City Council Cabinet report.

To read Colston Hall's annual review, download the report below.

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