People are being invited to donate their memorabilia and share their memories of a Staffordshire theatre ahead of a touring exhibition that kicks off in April. The digital exhibition will tell visitors all about Tamworth Assembly Rooms which is currently undergoing a massive refurbishment programme costing almost £5 million. Construction work to transform Tamworth Assembly Rooms is now underway and
Tamworth Borough Council's Arts and Events team want to share the journey, as well as the theatre's history and future, with local people. The aim of the exhibition is to give Tamworth residents the opportunity to learn about local heritage and the history of the iconic Victorian building.

How the new Tamworth Assembly Rooms will look
As part of the exhibition, people will be asked if they have any memorabilia related with the Assembly Rooms' past, such as tickets or programmes or photos of celebrities that have performed on stage over the years. In addition, people will be invited to share their memories of the building and give feedback and suggestions on the project and the future of the Assembly Rooms. The collection of stories and photos will then be added to a touchscreen tablet available to view in a kiosk where people can see the information and plans. The refurbishment project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund whose financial backing helped develop the research into the building's past, as well as public consultation with the local community about the building's future and the development work

Catch the digital exhibition about the new-look Assembly Rooms
The £4.8 million Assembly Rooms refurbishment is part of the wider Enterprise Quarter project, which is a joint initiative between Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council. The overall £6.1 million scheme includes the creation of Tamworth Enterprise Centre, a new restaurant in the Carnegie Centre and the development of new 'public realm' open space. As well as the Heritage Lottery Fund it is being funded by the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent LEP's Single Local Growth Fund, Arts Council England, and Tamworth Borough Council. Councillor Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: "
Tamworth Assembly Rooms, known as 'The Grand Old Lady of Corporation Street', is an amazing building and was built in 1889 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee of 1887. The Assembly Rooms has such a vast history and has been used for everything from assembling gas masks during WWll, to a venue hosting many local groups and household names including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, who performed in 1963."

Construction work has begun on the iconic Victorian building
He added: "
I look forward to hearing local residents share their stories and experiences. The exhibition will display up to date plans and progress of how the new-look Assembly Rooms will appear and how the major project will transform the building into something Tamworth can continue to be proud of for another 125 years." The touring exhibition will visit various locations across Tamworth over the coming months. It starts out at Sir Robert Peel Hospital during April and then moves to St Editha's Church in May, The Hub at Tamworth Activity Centre during June, Sacred Heart Church in July, and finishes at Tamworth Library during August. Full information is also available by following the Assembly Rooms Development Blog at
www.tamworthartsandevents.co.uk/blog