National Jazz Centre
The National Jazz Centre was a charity[1] set up by the Jazz Centre Society in the 1980s to establish a national center for jazz in London.
The project attracted funding from BP and The Arts Council (Arts Council England);[2] and £1,637,000 from Greater London Council[3] as well as grants from The Pilgrim Trust and jazz enthusiasts. The site of the centre was to be on Floral Street in Covent Garden.[4] Work started in 1982, converting a 19th Century fruit and vegetable warehouse, with anticipation that the new Centre would be complete by December 1983. A succession of set backs was thought to be resolved by 1984 and the re-opening was rescheduled to May 1985. A major royal Gala concert was hosted at the London Palladium, attended by Princess Diana.[5] The opening event was shortly followed by the disclosure that the project had run out of money. The project had problems with financial management, with Westminster City Council launching a legal challenge to the previous GLC grant.[3] This challenge was appealed, but upheld.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "National Jazz Centre Ltd - Removed Charity". Charities Commission. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Jazz Centre's Opening Set". Wire (11): 2. January 1985. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Future of jazz centre under threat". Times (London). 16 December 1986. p. 5. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "Use of 9/10 Floral Street and Basement and Ground Floor of NO.8 as the National Jazz Centre Involving Provision of an Auditorium,rehearsal & Tutorial Rooms,club Room Etc". Westminster City Council. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "National Jazz Centre Crunch Time Approaches". Jazz Express. February 1986.
- ^ "The Case of Re: National Jazz Centre [1988] 2 EGLR 57" (PDF). Richard Moss Solicitors. Retrieved 13 February 2015.