A RENOWNED dance artist has been granted permission to set up a wellness studio in part of a former Wetherspoons pub.
Shelly Eva Haden has been given approval from Worcester City Council to open Studio Shell at part of the former site of Wetherspoons pub Postal Order in Foregate Street.
The studio will take over the vacant part of the ground floor within the building that also houses Aurora Experience.
The choreographer, who has also worked for Opera North, applied for a change of use for a space where “movement is for everyone from babies to elders”.
CREDITS: Shelley Eva Haden was part of the choreography team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and has previously worked with the BBC and Channel 4 (Image: Shelley Eva Haden)
Studio proposal is acceptable
The city council approved saying it would “support the continued active use of the building without undermining the vitality and viability of the surrounding area”.
The premises at 18 Foregate Street was a purpose-built telephone exchange in the 1950s, providing a “striking landmark turning the corner of Foregate Street and Pierpoint Street.”
Prior to that, the location housed a post office from the 1880s.
The former telecoms and postal building in Foregate Street (Image: Google)
More recently, The Postal Order, a Wetherspoons pub, operated in the main section before it was taken over by Aurora Bar and Grill.
The city council conservation officer added: “The scheme is welcomed and will bring a redundant space back into use with no detrimental impacts to the historic fabric.”
When submitting the application, the performer said: “I am originally from Worcester and choosing to move back home because I want to bring my kids up here. I feel that my kids will be safe, secure and full of sunshine, as I felt as a child, and they are central to my vision for Studio Shell.
“I see so much potential in the city, and hope to get it dancing.”
The mother-of-two added she wants Studio Shell to be the opposite of many other studios which she has considered both cold and empty.
The former Postal Order before a bar and grill moved in (Image: Sam Greenway)
“Studio Shell exists as a response to this,” she said.
“It is a reimagining of what a dance studio can be: warm, expressive and alive.
“A place where parents are welcomed in, where babies, elders, professionals and beginners share the same air, and where fitness and artistry are not divided but intertwined.
“The studio is built on the belief that movement is for everyone, and that environment shapes confidence, creativity and connection.”
Who is Shelley Eva Haden?
Shelley Eva Haden is currently based in Birmingham but originally comes from Worcester and is moving back to the city.
She has 15 years of experience in dancing and choreography.
Ms Eva Haden also boasts experience in international performance and was nominated in the outstanding female performance category at the 2017 National Dance Awards.
Her other credits include working on the choreographic team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and working with the likes of the BBC< Channel 4 and Opera North.