Unlocking the Vaults

Exploring the history and legacy of Birmingham Municipal Bank. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The University of Birmingham.

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 of Birmingham, 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 of Birmingham 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 of Birmingham 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 of Birmingham 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 of Birmingham 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 will collect oral histories and recollections from people who have engaged with the building. This will help us build a picture of the people and operations that have brought the building to life over the years.

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 project is for all ages and interests, and there will be a variety of ways to learn about Birmingham Municipal Bank and contribute to its story at The Exchange.

Join our research group

We're looking for curious volunteers to delve into the archives and uncover more about the Bank. This work will be led by a community historian, who will help you to develop skills related to archival research and enhance your knowledge of Birmingham through site visits and study days. Ultimately, the group's findings will contribute to future interpretation of The Exchange story.

The group will meet on a monthly basis, and is open to anyone over the age of 16 who has a passion for local history.

We will be hosting a taster day for prospective research group members in January 2025. Details for this will be published on this page very soon!

An archived souvenir booklet marking the opening ceremony of Birmingham Municipal Bank on 27 November 1933. — Souvenir booklet marking the opening ceremony of Birmingham 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.

The Project