The Mick Jagger Centre
Encyclopedia
The Mick Jagger Centre is performing arts venue in Dartford
, England
. It is on the site of Dartford Grammar School
; however, it is also 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.
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 here,' which he did, the memento still being displayed today.
region. A new Concerto
for saxophone
by composer Adrian Smith is due to be premiered late in 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.
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is on the site of Dartford Grammar School
Dartford Grammar School
Dartford Grammar School is a selective secondary foundation school for boys in Dartford, Kent, England, which admits girls to its sixth form . All of the students joining the school are from the top 25% of the ability range...
; however, it is also open to the local community. The Centre is named after the Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, 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.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 KentDuke of Kent
Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...
and Jagger. At its opening, Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
was persuaded by a student to sign the wall of one of the new music classrooms with 'I was here,' which he did, the memento still being displayed today.
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 Thames GatewayThames Gateway
The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
region. A new Concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
for saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
by composer Adrian Smith is due to be premiered late in 2009, followed by a Violin Concerto
Violin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...
composed by Sarah Freestone.
The Thames Gateway Quartet, a professional string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
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.