News

The owner and operator of the Dominion Theatre in London's West End has purchased the Grade-II listed building's freehold with the support of a "multi-million-pound" loan from Lloyds Bank.

Nederlander Theatres, which also owns and operates the Aldwych Theatre and co-owns the Adelphi Theatre, said the acquisition of the freehold was the "culmination of a decades-long effort" by the family-run business to invest in and restore the art deco Tottenham Court Road theatre.

Jerry Katzman, CEO of the Dominion Theatre, said: “Our landlords were very understanding and have supported our efforts to invest in the Dominion, but owning it outright means we can continue to invest and operate in the way that will create the very best shows and experiences for our visitors. 
 
“The Nederlander family has been in the theatre business continuously since 1912. It’s their passion to keep theatres in the industry and restore them to their iconic magnificent grandeur. We now have the base to press on with that ambition, and the Dominion’s ready to deliver unmissable shows for generations to come.” 

“London’s West End is a huge draw for culture vultures from not just the UK, but across the whole world. The Dominion is at the heart of that, and the purchase helps protect a vital cultural asset in London," added Delcan Mulcahy, Technology, Media, and Telecoms sector head – mid-corporate at Lloyds Bank.

“The team behind the theatre have a clear vision, and owning the freehold has been a major strategic objective for decades. We’re proud to have helped the Dominion achieve that, and we remain by the side of creative businesses across London to dream big and be ambitious."
 

A £4.7m extension to Nuneaton Museum has been paused after a council review of capital projects said the expenditure in the 2019-2020 business plan had not accounted for soaring interest rates and costs.

As a result, the project to add a double glass extension on either side of the building has been put on hold indefinitely.

However, the museum will still get a new lift and a steel bridge over the River Anker to improve access for visitors.

A group of young people have been given £3.6m to transform a former primary school into an arts, sports and education centre for their community.

The BBC reports that Tiber Young People's Steering Group (TYPSG) in Liverpool, made up of 14 -18 year olds, will make all key decisions about the development of the four-acre Tiber Street Primary School site in the city. 

Chair, student Sha'Rae Riley, said: "We are the next generation and we know what young people want to see. We want to make sure the community has different jobs and opportunities for young people."

A grant of £3.58m from the government's Youth Investment Fund will be spent on educational rooms, a café, a function suite and an outdoor event space

The project is one of several initatives related to arts to be funded by the £90m investment programme.

The UK's departure from the European Union may cause “terminal damage” to the UK’s music industry, the Principal of the Royal Academy of Music has said.

Speaking to the Scottish daily The National, Professor Jonathan Freeman-Attwood said the proportion of European students at the conservatoire has fallen by half since 2016 and warned that Brexit has “stopped the flow of talent coming in”.

“It has been a complete no-win situation, not just for higher education but actually for music higher education, and particularly an institution like this that was founded over 200 years ago by Europeans," he said.

“I think there will be terminal damage in an area where we have a world renowned reputation as educators and as people who make a difference worldwide in the creative industries.

“So at the moment, I think we're fighting against the tide and in some areas we're doing OK, but it's a colossal waste in terms of reputation, in terms of capability, in terms of possibility of things that Britain has always done incredibly well."

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced an agreement with RADAR Festival for a percentage of every ticket to go towards supporting grassroots music venues via the charity’s Pipeline Investment Fund. 

RADAR Festival, the contemporary indoor music festival in Manchester, is the first festival to agree to donate to the Pipeline Investment Fund which has awarded more than £260,000 to 61 UK Grassroots Music Venues since it was founded in 2022.

Co-organiser Catherine Jackson-Smith said: “If we don’t protect the smaller venues then there isn’t a pipeline for the next [festival] headliners, and this ticking time bomb is something that the music industry can, and must, take action on.” 

MVT CEO and founder Mark Davyd said: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to RADAR Festival, for taking this bold step as the first festival to champion the Pipeline Investment Fund. 

"Their support is a strong commitment to the heart and soul of the UK's music scene, nurturing its roots through the vital network of Grassroots Music Venues."

Chickenshed Theatre removed a short play from a new writing showcase over concerns that its key theme of a British woman of Palestinian heritage trying to speak with her father in Israel did not include "the space or time for dialogue" given "the complexity of the situation in the Middle East".

Written and performed by Gemilla Shamrock, who works as a BA Tutor and mentor at Chickenshed, with Senior Creative Producer Dave Carey, Conversations with My Father was among ten short plays included in Chickenshed’s annual new writing review Changes Rota Two, which ran from 6 - 17 February.

In a statement on the company's website, Chickenshed Theatre said: "Conversations with my Father’ was an 8-minute piece created by Chickenshed, exploring the conversations between a father and daughter covering everything from tik-tok to football but also their sadness at the current situation in the Middle East.

"The piece was shown twice as part of Changes as, upon reflection and taking into account the incredible complexity of the situation in the Middle East, we felt the format of the platform did not provide the necessary opportunity for an open conversation or nuanced discussion to take place between Chickenshed and audiences around the themes and ideas explored in the piece.

"It is not uncommon for pieces in our new writing programme to be performed only once or twice, and the themes and stories often continue to be developed well after their initial presentation. 

"We continuously facilitate feedback sessions with audiences and our artists to ensure that inclusivity continues to lie at the heart of everything that Chickenshed does. Presenting Conversations with my Father as part of Changes did not include the space or time for a dialogue of this kind.

"The diversity of backgrounds and identities within the Chickenshed communities means that these stories are varied and often complex when they come together. Chickenshed aims to create an inclusive space for everyone, and we welcome open conversation surrounding topics that affect our audiences, our artists and students alike."

Nottingham-based fringe theatre comany Nonsuch will relocate to a cinema in the city after moving out of its previous premises at the end of last year.

The charity, which was last year unsuccessful in an application for Arts Council England investment as part of the 2023-26 National Portfolio, will now be based at the independent Broadway cinema.

It took the decision to leave its previous premises due to the "ever-increasing costs of operating a venue in challenging economic circumstances".

Announcing the move, it said it will now begin the refocusing of work away from venue operations to return to its roots of producing and touring contemporary performance, working with communities across the East Midlands.

‍Edward Boott, Artistic Director and CEO of Nonsuch, said: “This is an epic move for the whole Nonsuch team as we relocate to refocus on our producing and community programme work. 

"We’re so thrilled and honoured to have been invited by the incredible team at Broadway to become residents in their iconic building and can’t wait for all the magical collaborations and partnerships our new home might bring.”