Leicester Athena
Athena is a Grade II-listed events venue in the cultural quarter of Leicester City Centre, England. Built originally as an Odeon Cinema in 1936, it closed for most of the 1990s and remained vacant up until 2005, where the building was restored as a multi-discipline events venue.
 Athena in April 2010 | |
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| Former names | Leicester Odeon |
|---|---|
| Address | Queen Street Leicester LE1 1QD England |
| Location | Leicester |
| Type | Early 20th century art deco cinema |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1936 |
| Opened | 1936 |
| Renovated | 2005 |
| Architect | Robert Arthur Bullivant (architect) |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
History
The building was originally designed and built in 1936 in the Streamline Moderne style by Robert Arthur Bullivant, and operated as an Odeon Cinema.[1][2] When it was first opened, the Odeon was one of the most extravagant and largest buildings in the region, with one screen and seating 2,182 guests.[2] The terracotta panels, which feature mermaids, were hand-moulded by William Neatby at the Lambeth premises of Doulton and Co.
The interior was subdivided in 1974, into three small cinemas, and closed in 1997.[1][2] The building has been Grade II listed since August 1997, giving it protection from unauthorised modification or demolition.[2]
The building has been restored and converted into a venue for corporate and social events.
Athena Today
Since re-opening in 2005, Athena has been host to artists including Olly Murs, Kasabian, X Factor home coming gigs for Sam Bailey and Five by Midnight.[3] Along side Live Acts Athena also hosts a range of cultural shows such as Navratri - Hindu festival of dance , the choice venue for Kannada Ugadi Community – Kerala community Arts stage as well as events attracting audiences from all backgrounds world /diasporic music acts such as Zimbabwe finest Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, Winky D to name a few, as well as South Asian classical artists Satinder Satraj, Pankaj Udhas , Sonu Nigam and many others of similar calibre. More locally the venue is used by Dance schools that show case young talent in street , pop Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern & Jazz, Acrobatics methods of dance. A popular space for youth schemes such as National citizen service workshops empowering young people to enter the world of work.
Award-winning Venue
2014 - Saw Athena picking up Best Large Venue - hosted by the UK Event Awards
In 2017, Athena received a Silver award at the Awards Awards in the category for Best Venue, and in the same year, was a finalist at The Drum UK Event Awards.
In 2018 it picked up Gold at The National Venue Awards, and named winner of the Best Event Venue for 500–1000 Guests category
- Ruddy, Austin J (13 July 2017). "Leicester's Odeon building still makes a big impression". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- Historic England. "THE ODEON THEATRE, City of Leicester (1245137)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
- "Home | Athena Leicester". www.athenacb.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-07-06.