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Unlocking the Vaults

Exploring the history and legacy Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡.

  • Birmingham Municipal Bank is shown ina. black and white photograph from the 1930s.

    The Project

    The Exchange, once the head offices Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank, is at the heart of an exciting new project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We're Unlocking the Vaults, uncovering the Bank's history and it's role in Birmingham’s heritage, while engaging schools and community groups to learn about financial resilience today.

Introducing: Unlocking the Vaults

Hear from Jane McArdle, Project Manager for Unlocking the Vaults, as she introduces what the project has in store, and how you can get involved.

Film by Paul Stringer

Transcript

My name is Jane McArdle. I work here at The Exchange, part of the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡, and I am the project manager on a new project called Unlocking the Vaults.

We want to tell you about an exciting new project taking place here at The Exchange. This building was once the head offices Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank and many clues to it’s history still remain. Such as the incredible vaults and inscriptions that can still be seen today.

Unlocking the Vaults is a project with generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, where we’ll be exploring the history and legacy Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank and it’s place in Birmingham's heritage. We’ll also be exploring financial resilience today and linking to University research.

Most importantly we want you to get involved too. Do you have memories Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank? Maybe you worked here or were a customer?

Maybe you’d like to join our Research Group – a curious band volunteers who will be undertaking archival research and learning more about Birmingham’s history.

We’ll also have opportunities for people to get involved in our public programme of activities and events, that is available to all ages and audiences, including tours of this amazing place.

Later on, we’ll be creating new interpretations here at The Exchange, and online and working with schools and community groups.

Get in touch by hopping onto our website or emailing us. We’d love to hear from you!

Get involved

There are many ways to get involved in the Unlocking the Vaults project!

Share your memories

Do you have special memories Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank, or from one of its many branches throughout the city?

If you have a story to tell, big or small, we’d love to hear from you. As part of the project, we are collecting oral histories and recollections from people who have engaged with the building. This will help us build a picture of the people who have brought the building to life over the years.

Drop into The Exchange and pick up one of our postcards for your memories or drop us an email and we'll send one out to you.

Email: unlockingthevaults@contact.bham.ac.uk

Take part in our public programme

Keep an eye out on this page for details of our year-round programme of workshops, talks, and tours.

This programme is for all ages and interests, and there will be a variety of ways to learn about Birmingham Municipal Bank, financial well-being today as well as links to University research.

Join our research group

Throughout the project, a group of curious volunteers will delve into the archives and uncover more about the Bank. Led by a community historian, volunteers will develop skills related to archival research and learn more about Birmingham's heritage through archive visits.

Watch out for our research group blog coming soon!

The group's findings will contribute to future interpretation of The Exchange story.

An archived souvenir booklet marking the opening ceremony Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank on 27 November 1933.

Souvenir booklet marking the opening ceremony Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Municipal Bank on 27 November 1933.

A queue of people on 1930s dress wait at the tellers desk in the Banking Hall. Black and white photograph.

The Banking Hall, 1933.

Get in touch

Do you have something to share with Unlocking the Vaults or would you like more information about the project? Get in touch via our project email at: unlockingthevaults@contact.bham.ac.uk.