Arts powerhouse building completed in Coventry

Published: 15 April 2021
Reporter: Steve Orme

Robert Wigley of construction company the Wigley Group hands over the keys of the Daimler Powerhouse to Daniel Connor and Luka Owen Credit: Andrew Moore

Coventry-based live events production company Imagineer commissioned an aerial dance to mark the completion of building works on the £2.5 million Daimler Powerhouse Creation Centre.

The interior of the centre will be completed over the coming months and will include a sound recording studio and edit suite as well as a sprung dance floor and vertical dance wall.

The Daimler building has a reputation as a centre of excellence: it manufactured the first bicycle, the first car factory in Britain was located there, the first fork lift truck was built there and it was a specialist engine factory for high-performance engines powering four Formula 1 world champions.

Peter Knott, Arts Council England’s area director, said, “we’re delighted to have invested National Lottery funding to help restore the Daimler Building to its former glory and to be supporting a state-of-the-art space for Imagineer and other local artists to create work.

“As Coventry gears up for its year as City of Culture, places like the Daimler Powerhouse will play a crucial role in nurturing the talent and producing the work that the city has to offer, especially after what has been a very challenging time for all of us.

“Now that we’re hopefully on the road to recovery, we look forward to this unique space inspiring many future generations of creative people.”

As well as providing a home for Imagineer’s education and training programmes aimed at young people and people with disabilities, the Daimler Powerhouse will house five resident companies: Imagineer, Highly Sprung, Media Mania, Open Theatre and Talking Birds.

Daimler Powerhouse will open to the public in August 2021 with a weekend of special events, performances and opportunities to visit the building.

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