Canada House

Dating back to 1874, Canada House is located in the heart of Sheffield city centre and was, until 1972, occupied by the Sheffield United Gas Light Company. Various uses have followed since, including a Chinese restaurant and offices, but today it stands vacant.

In 2015, a partnership was formed between two established organisations, Sheffield Music Academy and Sheffield Music Hub, with an aim to find a permanent home for music education in the city. Upon discovering the Grade II* listed Canada House in 2017, the partnership launched a vision to restore and convert the building into a new, central music education hub called Harmony Works. Plans to revitalise Canada House make the most of the historic spaces, retaining its unique heritage features, whilst also making sure that it is accessible and welcoming to all. Once complete, Harmony Works will be home to every genre of music and music-inspired culture, offering teaching, performance and practice spaces, a café and student facilities, which will support all types of musical development to meet the needs of diverse and talented young musicians across the city and region.

The AHF has supported the partnership with three grants since 2019, which enabled the project to complete initial viability and development work. This paved the way for inclusion in Sheffield’s Levelling Up Bid, which secured £1.6 million for the purchase of the building, and Round One development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Having been awarded charitable status in August 2023, Harmony Works Trust successfully acquired Canada House in May 2024, moving the project one step closer to realisation. The Trust is currently applying for additional funding support for the next phase.

https://harmonyworks.org.uk/

AHF Funding

Project Viability Grant - £7,500 (2019)

Project Development Grant - £28,600 (2019)

Project Development Grant - £71,560 (2020)

Image Credits

Vox Multimedia