Placemaking

Catford’s Broadway Theatre is closing this month for a £7m renovation project.

Funding for the work comes from Lewisham Council’s capital programme and will include an overhaul of the theatre’s auditorium and foyer.

The refurbishment means the Grade II listed building will be closed throughout Lewisham’s tenure as London Borough of Culture.

Cabinet Member for Culture André Bourne said it is important the area continues to invest in its arts heritage.

“We’re happy to have secured the £7m needed to give the theatre a new lease of life as it approaches its 90th birthday, making it more inclusive and ensuring it meets audiences’ expectations for comfort and quality.”

The Lithuanian city of Kaunas marks the start of its year as European Capital of Culture this weekend with an "awe-inspiring" artistic display.

City districts will host an opening ceremony in which 'circles of light' rituals, giant video projections and musical performances form part of a festival for awakening a mythical beast.

Participants are invited to track the beast in a puzzle game, with the first 1,000 winners receiving special prizes.

More than 40 festivals are planned over the coming year, as well as 60 exhibitions and more than 250 concerts.

A "unique opportunity" to create art that will be seen by millions is on offer in North East England.

Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus is commissioning artists to create large-scale works for the inside of its 46-train fleet.

Project grant funding from Arts Council England (ACE) has enabled what is believed to be a world first - a permanent commission within a new train.

"This is a great opportunity for a number of different artists to produce exciting work reflecting the heritage and diversity of the region," ACE Director North Jane Tarr commented.

Applications close February 28.

Glasgow event space SWG3 is building a £1.5m artist studio on its premises.

The new Yard Works premises will house artists, youth organisations and community groups. It marks the latest stage of a £7.1m development project, aiming to reshape the venue into a "world-class cultural destination".

The project’s first phase of public access works is due to be completed this month.

Founder and Managing Director Andrew Fleming-Brown says the new studio space will help SWG3 to grow its Yard Works programming.

“It will not just benefit the area culturally, but also have wider social and economic impact through the community.”

£585,000 is being sought to upgrade The Harris in Preston.

Preston City Council plans to ask Arts Council England to part fund Harris Your Place, its £10m refurbishment programme. £4.5m has already been recieved from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The museum, art gallery and library needs new lighting, signage, heating and ventilation, the council says.

Works would allow the building to host larger exhibitions and loans from major institutions.

Funders have given £12m to secure the future of the Birmingham 2022 festival.

The Commonwealth Games cultural event will feature hundreds of artists and is expected to reach thousands of participants and members of the community.

A core programme of events supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairburn Foundation will explore local LGBT+ stories and LGBT-led commissioning.

One funded project will be a "wide-reaching intergenerational" tap-dancing scheme across the West Midlands.

"It gives us the perfect opportunity to re-connect with each other and our towns and cities and get the region dancing,” project director Stephanie Ridings said.

More than 4,200 people have signed a petition against proposals by Thurrock Council to close a local arts complex.

A second protest on Wednesday (November 24) demonstrates the tenacity of the Save Your Thameside campaign, organiser Sam Byrne said.

Thurrock Council received a £191,000 Culture Recovery Fund grant to reopen Thameside Theatre, but has since deemed the complex containing the theatre, city library and museum "surplus to requirements".

"If Thurrock Council get their way, they will provide a nonprofessional community arts offering in a drafty community hall in the middle of nowhere," Byrne said.

"We have written to Thurrock Council about this matter on many occasions and their lack of response and interest in engaging with the people of Thurrock shows their true lack of understanding in the arts, culture and heritage of our borough."

Thurrock Council has been approached for comment.

Plans to redevelop Oldham's library and art gallery into a £16m heritage site have been approved.

The new attraction will contribute to long-held ambitions for a cultural quarter in the town after a £27m redevelopment plan for the Coliseum theatre was axed.

This is the second attempt to create a heritage centre in Oldham: a plan was approved in 2018 but more stabilising works were needed.

The building will house Oldham's museum and archives, emphasising the town's historic role in the cotton industry.