It's taken years of planning and now finally the stage is set for Bury St Edmunds' new state of the art venue.
The apex is due to open its doors in October and promises to change the face of music in the region.
The landmark building will become the new home for entertainment and business in the East of England, based right in the centre of Bury and attracting a wide programme of events from exhibitions and conferences to international artists and homegrown performers.
This versatile venue, with acoustic excellence, aims to offer the wider community a place to enjoy all genres of music from classical and country to rock, pop, folk, jazz and world as well as comedy and other entertainment. The apex will also be an ideal venue for business events, being in the centre of the town as part of the arc shopping development and with nearby parking. With a seated capacity of 500, or for the more lively events, the seats can be removed for dancing – increasing the capacity further.
The apex aims to attract international performers and artists to the lineup - the likes of which previously have not been seen in the county, but it also plans to give local artists the chance to demonstrate their talents in a fantastic purpose built facility.
Cllr Lynsey Alexander, St Edmundsbury Borough Council Cabinet member, responsible for culture said: "We are incredibly excited that the apex is nearing completion. It's an amazing state of the art venue that the people of Bury will be able to enjoy for many years to come. To have this kind of music facility on our doorstep will be something we can all be proud of. The positive impact on our region's economy will be extensive, from creating local jobs to operate the facility and using local suppliers in our cafe bar, to filling our social calendar with events previously unseen in the region. We also aim to attract even more tourism to the area with our unrivaled line up.
By day the apex will also be a hive of activity offering cutting edge space for meetings and conferences and an exciting place for local groups to congregate and even rehearse.
Cllr Alexander said: "Final preparations are now underway to get the venue ready for an open weekend in October which will give everyone a chance to have a look inside the venue to see what it has to offer. I'm sure that they will all agree the apex will be a landmark in our town and in our social calendars."
To ensure that the apex will be delivering an optimum customer experience, the first three months of opening will be 'Sound Check Season' enabling the venue to constantly test, trial and tweak all the operational aspects of the building. For more information about the apex and the open weekend or to join the free online apex community (for regular up to date event information and special offers) visit www.theapex.co.uk
Ends
The apex is a new, multi-purpose public venue built as a cultural heritage investment by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Editors:
For more information please contact:
Julie Warren
the apex
1 Charter Square
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP33 3FD
Phone: 07767 256723 or 01284 758105
Email: julie.warren@theapex.co.uk