ACE New Home
Our Vision
ACE Dance and Music bought 82 Milk Street in October 2023. Now we are raising the funding to create a thriving hub out of a semi-derelict car repair workshop in Digbeth.
The new space will:
- have a flexible performance space that can be a 180 seat theatre with retractable seating enabling us to present other Black-led touring companies, our own performances, scratch nights by early career artists and performances by our class students.
- or that can be used as one or two studios with a sprung floor for creation, rehearsals, classes and training.
- be just 10 minutes walk from the city centre, a high-profile, high-quality space for Black-led arts reaching new audiences and participants.
- have an open courtyard space for other activities like making carnival costumes, hosting exhibitions, family activities.
- have improved access for people with disabilities from step free access, induction loop, quiet spaces.
- be more environmentally sustainable benefitting the climate and reducing ACEDM’s running costs from design decisions, heat pumps, solar panels.
Plan
A day in the life of the new ACE Space
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Half studio hired by a local college for their classes 9.30-15.30.
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Half studio used by ACEDM professional company for company class (opened up to other local professional artists) and rehearsals 10.00-17.00.
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Exhibition of photographs of the local area by college students in the courtyard open to the general public 10.00-17.00.
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ACE Youth After School – students on site from 17.00, classes 18.00-20.00
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Adult leisure classes – 18.00-20.00
More young people from Birmingham and the Black Country have access to arts activities fostering imagination, self-expression and creativity in young people.
In 2024-25, there were 3718 engagements through the class programme; children and young people from our class programme performed to 853 people; and 3274 engagements in 20 schools in Birmingham and the Black Country.
Increased representation of people of African and Caribbean heritage making professional careers in the arts.
ACE Youth is recognised as a national and international leader in youth dance and has played an important role in enabling Black young people to find pathways to careers in the arts. Over the last 5 years out of 11 leavers, 3 young people have gone onto Northern School for Contemporary Dance, 2 to other university dance training, and 5 to other degree courses. Of the current member, 2 are with the National Youth Dance Company; 5 are members of the Centre for Advanced Dance Training; and they are making a curtain raiser with Verve (NSCD Graduate Company).
Case study: Lucca Masters
Lucca is a member of ACE Youth and has been with ACE for nearly 7 years since discovering the company. He has loved learning the intricate fusion of African and contemporary styles and most of all honing his performance skills. His passion is to create and perform including being part of a curtain raiser for Alvin Ailey Company. He has also discovered music and now sees his future career as a music producer creating music for dance especially. He will be starting at Liverpool University in October 2025 to study Sound Production & Engineering.
‘ACEDM has really exposed me to high quality, high intensity training and has given me a drive and enabled me to be immersed in the dance world with so many amazing opportunities for workshops in different styles and go for opportunities like National Youth Dance Company.’(Lucca is one of two young people from ACEDM who are part of this.)
We support early career artists to make their next steps by running intensive professional development programmes, hosting some of the Brum Pro Class weekly sessions, opening company class when we have visiting choreographers and offering free studio space – 20 early career artists benefitted in 2024-25.
Former ACEDM students and ACE Youth members who have established careers include eg Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play), Rudi Cole and Júlia Robert Parés (humanhood) who have formed their own companies or achieved in other fields eg Xhosa Cole - BBC Young Jazz Musician 2018. Other ACE Youth graduates are working in the arts eg as Head of Dance at Birmingham Ormiston Academy or a Producer at Fabric.
Case study: Iona Waite
Iona is now Associate Director for ACEDM, leading the Education team and managing the professional company, having joined ACE as a class participant and discovered her passion for dance.
As a member of ACE member of ACE Youth seeing the professional company dancers, being taught by them, going to see touring dance companies, experiencing international collaborations inspired her to see that dance was a viable career. Gail Parmel’s story showed her what a child from a Black inner city background could achieve. Gail understood Iona’s potential, always pushing her forward to stretch herself and this was echoed by the whole team at ACEDM who all shared the commitment to inspire young people to take up careers in the arts.
As a result, Iona was the first in her family to go to university. She went to Northern School, did her degree at Wolverhampton University learning arts admin as well as performing and joined ACEDM as a professional dance artist. A placement with the BBC in South Africa opened her eyes to the ways in which young people could be inspired to choose the arts and empower themselves.
When she started out Black young people were not visible in the arts, especially as leaders. This has fuelled her passion around legacy and using her career to empower Black young women and young people as the next generation of artists.
More people will be knowledgeable about and involved in African Caribbean heritage supporting community understanding and individual pride in identity.
Our family friendly carnival projects introduce children in schools and audiences at major public events to carnival culture. In 2023-24, a series of carnival events in schools and public spaces reached audiences of 3365 in Centenary Square, the Bull Ring and for the doorstep carnival in Grosvenor Road, Perry Barr.
‘The story of the Windrush generation is such an important one to share and I’m so happy my boys were able to be part of sharing this story. I know their great grandparents were looking down with pride. They have loved over the years,hearing stories from their great grandfather and my own mother about their journey across the sea on a big boat from the Caribbean to the UK. Khari wore his outfit with such pride and said he looked like his great grandfather! He really enjoyed it and said he wanted to perform it again.’ Parent
Black-led arts are more visible to a wider range of audiences and participants.
Our last production, Unknown Realms, toured to 35 venues across England and Wales, Netherlands and South Africa reaching a total audience of 4197.
‘It’s a long time since I’ve seen that wonderful fusion of African dance style with contemporary and it was a joy to watch, most especially given the quality of the performances. I was also extremely impressed by the production values – lighting, composition and costume served to enhance the choreography and it was a treat.’ Artistic Director, Lakeside Arts Centre.
‘UNKNOWN REALMSis a masterpiece of emotional and spiritual exploration. From the fierce abandon ofTNBTto the secretive and prowlingMANA,it is an unmissable exploration of what it means to be a global citizen today.’
‘Gail Parmel’s choreographic vision has resulted in ACE dance and music becoming one of the most exciting, eclectic and resilient dance companies, of any genre, in the UK.’ Trinity Laban Conservatoire when awarding Gail Parmel an Honorary Fellowship 2024.
Our Mission
To promote the power of Dance through cultural exchange.
Our Vision
In the next 10 years ACE dance and music will be a national centre promoting, producing and presenting outstanding contemporary dance inspired by the African Diaspora.