Irene Craik, Mark Lewis, and Thomas Böhringer attended a Private View at Bristol Beacon on Tuesday night as the venue opened its doors for project supporters to see the transformed venues and public art.

There were speeches by the CEO of Bristol Music Trust, Bristol’s mayor, and the Arts Council’s southwest director. Bristolian indie-folk singer-songstress Lady Nade enchanted guests in the restored Lantern Hall with her exquisite vocals and moving life-story. Guests were then invited to explore the new and restored spaces and talk to the four artists who have created such inspiring pieces integrated into the building’s design.

Next, Jonathon Dimbleby led a discussion panel with Mark Lewis, the project acoustician, the public art curator, and the project’s creative director for Heritage and Public Space Design. They discussed how their contributions coalesced and became seamlessly integrated into the completed spaces.

Finally, world-class classical pianist Steven Osborne played Schubert’s epic Piano Sonata No 22 in A major, D 959 on the new Steinway concert grand piano to an awe-struck audience in the entirely reconstructed and quite sensational Beacon Hall.

The formal opening at the end of this month marks 22 years since Levitt Bernstein started work on the overall project. The reaction from the public and performers has been overwhelmingly positive and seeing the buildings come to life is incredibly fulfilling and exciting. We can’t wait for Bristol Beacon to shine on the national scene.

You can find Bristol Beacon's Project Story here.