The Mick Jagger Centre

The Mick Jagger Centre Arts Centre in Dartford Grammar School

The Mick Jagger Centre is a performing arts venue in Dartford, Kent. It is on the site of Dartford Grammar School; however, it is open to the local community. The Centre is named after the Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, who was a pupil at the school. It has two main stages and holds theatre workshops in the summer.

Facilities

There are two main performance spaces, a recording studio, rehearsal rooms, a bar and gallery. The Small Room has a capacity of 150 seated; the Big Room can seat 350 or hold 600 standing.[1]

History

The centre cost £2.25m, and was funded by a National Lottery grant of £1.7m with a further contribution from Jagger himself. Construction on the arena started in 1998 and it was opened in March 2000 by the Duke of Kent and Jagger. At its opening, Jagger was persuaded by a student to sign the wall of one of the new music classrooms with 'I was back' which he did, the memento still being displayed today.[2]

Associated organisations

The Mick Jagger Centre is the home of the Orchestra of the Thames Gateway, a professional orchestra with an ambitious programme of commissioning new works from local composers to reflect the local region. A Concerto for saxophone by composer Adrian Smith was premiered in late 2009, followed by a Violin Concerto composed by Sarah Freestone.

The Thames Gateway Quartet, a professional string quartet is also based at the Centre and has a multi-year programme of playing and recording student musical works, in addition to a wide and varied outreach programme.

Shows/Pantomimes

2014-2015 Year 7 7@7 (2014)
Cinderella (2012)
Sleeping Beauty (2009)
Jack and the beanstalk (2008)
Robin Hood (2007)
Cinderella (2007)
Aladdin (2006)
Dick Whittington (2005)
Cinderella (Lucinda Ryan Productions & Walk Tall Repertory Company) 2012
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (Walk Tall Repertory Company) 2013
Dick Whittington & His Cat (Walk Tall Repertory Company) 2014
A Night Of Magic At The Musicals (Walk Tall Repertory Company) 2015
Aladdin (Walk Tall Repertory Company) 2015

References

  1. ↑ http://www.themickjaggercentre.com/techspec.aspx
  2. ↑ "Jagger's family affair at school". BBC News. 2000-03-30. Retrieved 2009-08-27.

Coordinates: 51°26′42″N 0°12′20″E / 51.44500°N 0.20556°E / 51.44500; 0.20556

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