Investigating Performing Arts - Royal Albert Hall and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

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Investigating Performing Arts The Royal Albert Hall and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Royal Albert Hall was opened on 29th March 1871, where it was attended by Her Majesty Queen Victoria and her family. The Hall was built with many technologies that were well before its time, including a hydraulic lift and 11,000 gas burners which could all be lit within 10 seconds. It was built to fulfil the vision of Prince Albert of what he described as a ‘Central Hall’ that would be used to promote the Arts and Sciences and would be surrounded by museums and places of learning. Plans for the Hall fell apart slightly when Albert died prematurely and the construction was due to the determination of Henry Cole, one of Albert’s collaborators and who was later to serve as the first director of what is now called the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Hall was named after Prince Albert in his memory and Queen Victoria was too overwhelmed to say anything at its Grand Opening, so she had the Prince of Wales open it instead. One of The Royal Albert Hall’s main purposes was originally to promote the Arts and Sciences. It has a charity, called The Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences, which was established in 1866 by Royal Charter to maintain the Hall, and to promote the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the Arts and Sciences. It works to provide public benefit in many ways, including: maintaining and improving the facilities of the Hall and enabling the public to take tours of the building and hiring the Hall to third parties for concerts, musical performances such as opera and dance and a wide range of other events that the Hall are permitted to hold. It has a programme of Learning and Participation events which provide opportunities for young people to experience and participate in live performances and to visit the Hall. The Council of the

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