Work to transform Brierley Hill’s huge Cable Plaza building into state-of-the-art music institute Resonance is on track for its 2020 opening, directors have revealed.

Contractors, Overbury, will hand the keys to the former office block, which has been empty for eight years, back to the directors of Resonance by the end of the year.

Co-Director of Resonance David Barnard said work was progressing well, adding he couldn’t wait to see how things would take shape over the coming weeks and months. He said:

“It’s great to see the building changing from what was an old office block into something truly remarkable.

“Every time I walk into Cable Plaza I see something new the contractors have completed or are working on, which is incredibly exciting.

“We are really seeing the concept created all of all those years ago now becoming reality.”

Resonance will be a one-of-a-kind institute for popular music based in the heart of the Black Country and will offer degrees for students seeking a career in a range of music industries.   

There will be a mixture of classrooms, lecture theatres, recording studios, practice rooms and radio studios with some of the best music technology available to students.

The £9.5 million project is not exclusively for students and it is hoped it will become a vital community music hub. Musicians and organisations from across the region will be encouraged to make full use of the facilities on offer.  

Resonance is a central part of the DY5 enterprise zone in Brierley Hill which was launched in a bid to rejuvenate the Waterfront office complex at Merry Hill.

Some 23 businesses have moved to the area since 2017 creating 600 jobs, with Resonance viewed as integral to the overall regeneration project. On a recent visit to Resonance, Dudley South MP Mike Wood said:

“Not only will this fantastic new music institute provide incredible opportunities for young people to break into the ever-competitive music industry, but having such a world-class higher education institute here in the heart of the Black Country has the potential to transform people’s aspirations and the regeneration of Brierley Hill.

“This institute will offer a whole new perspective on studying music for its pupils, who will be able to benefit from state-of-the-art facilities at the Waterfront that will be the envy of many professional studios around the world.

“The directors are delivering an inspiring vision and I’d like to thank them for showing me their work at what will become one of the best music institutes in the world.”

The building is set for completion at the end of this year when staff will be welcoming students for open days and auditions in 2020. Classes will start that September. 

To find out more, email info@resonance-edu.org or search ‘Resonance Education’ on social media.