OPEN Norwich
 | |
| Former names | Barclays Bank Ltd |
|---|---|
| Address |
20 Bank Plain, Norwich, NR2 4SF |
| Location | Norwich |
| Operator | OPEN Youth Trust |
| Seating type | Temporary |
| Capacity | 1450 |
| Construction | |
| Architect | Hudsons Architects |
| Tenants | |
|
The Prince's Trust, | |
OPEN is a venue and conferencing, live music & events space in Norwich, England. It is situated in the city centre, at the top of the Norwich Lanes. It is a Grade II listed building which was previously the regional headquarters for Barclays Bank. The original building was refurbished and reopened in 2010 as the home for its namesake, OPEN Youth Trust, a charity which calls the building its home.
The venue boasts a 1450 capacity Banking Hall, 6 stunning function rooms and a private contemporary Club room which has a capacity of 300. Featuring state-of-the-art technology the venue is ideal for gigs, award nights, gala dinners, fashion shows, sporting events, exhibitions and festivals.
In addition, the conference and training suite benefits from its own private entrance and reception lobby, as well as a wide range of facilities and services designed to complement any event perfectly, including plasma screens, hearing loop systems, flipcharts and technical support, incorporating sound, lighting and audio visual.
Major bands and solo musicians that have performed at the venue since 2010 include The Darkness, Machine Head, London Grammar, Belle & Sebastian, Bellowhead, Public Service Broadcasting, Newton Faulkner, Don Broco & The Divine Comedy. The Club room is a perfect place to host performances from local bands as well as club nights and youth activities.
The venue is also home to Norfolk's tallest indoor climbing wall, a dance studio, a gym and cafe as well as a secure storage solution in the former bank vaults called CLOSED.
The venue gives businesses, organisations and individuals a unique opportunity to hold their meetings, conferences and events whilst helping the charity to fund activities for young people in Norfolk.
History
The original building was sold to Barlett Gurney in 1779 for the purpose of establishing the Gurney Bank. Gurney also installed bullion safes in the former wine cellars. In 1896, 20 banks including the Gurney Bank were amalgamated under the name of Barclay & Co Ltd. Barclays soon outgrew their premises and in 1926 a new building was designed with a huge banking hall, offices and strong rooms.
As a bank it was reputed to have had the longest banking counter in the UK and became the regional headquarters of Barclays until it was sold to the Lind Trust in 2003.
OPEN Youth Trust
After purchasing the building, the Lind Trust established a Youth Forum whose primary aim was to assess the needs of young people in Norfolk. In 2005 the OPEN Youth Trust (OPEN) received charitable status. The charity currently relies on funding from grants and donations from Trusts, business and individuals.
OPEN was established to provide opportunities for young people in Norfolk, including those who are most disadvantaged, with the longer term aim of making a positive difference to their lives.
The profit from the commercial activities also helps to enable the charity to offer a diverse range of free activities including climbing, performing arts including dance and music to young people around Norwich and Norfolk most of which are free for young people aged 7 – 25 to attend.