Worcester's Swan Theatre saved from closure

21 Nov 2023

Proposals to sell off a theatre in Worcester to help pay for a council regeneration project have been scrapped.

Funds from the sale of the 350-seat Swan Theatre were earmarked to go toward a multimillion-pound project to build a new arts venue in the city on the site of the listed Scala Theatre and Corn Exchange buildings.

Original plans for the redevelopment of the Scala site, backed by an £18m grant from the government's Future High Streets Fund, have also been dropped after construction costs for the project almost doubled. A consortium of arts and creative organisations has been engaged to advise Worcester City Council on a revised plan for the arts venue.

Worcester Theatres, which runs the Swan Theatre and the city’s Huntingdon Hall, had been due to take up new headquarters at Scala Theatre.

A spokesperson for Worcester Theatres said: “We are very happy in our current home and will continue to run both the Swan Theatre and Huntingdon Hall for the foreseeable future, bringing a fantastic varied programme of events to Worcester’s city centre.

“While we will not have a role in operating the new Scala venue, we are very pleased the project is continuing to develop and look forward to seeing how the space will be designed and operated as a new arts venue accessible to everyone.

“Perhaps one day even our Worcester Repertory Company may be able to perform there, but of course, until more plans are revealed, it is difficult to say.”

Mendes theatre fund to support mid-career professionals

Assistant stage manager Teresa Morrow applies finishing touches to a costume worn by actor Sara Billeaux.
20 Nov 2023

Pilot programme designed to address a 'huge shift' in the creative workforce towards film and tv launches.

Birmingham Hippodrome launches teacher support initiative

20 Nov 2023

Birmingham Hippodrome has launched a new programme for teachers and educators in the West Midlands in a bid to get more young people in the area engaged with theatre.

Teachers in the scheme will be invited to see live performances at the Hippodrome and attend talks, pre and post-show events and networking events where they can meet and connect with other educators, artists and creatives.

It is hoped that successful applicants will expand their knowledge and be keen to be advocates for the power of theatre for young people.

Zayle-Dawn Wilson, Head of Creative Partnerships at Birmingham Hippodrome, said: “Schools are facing significant challenges in the current climate. 

"In our last benchmarking survey, schools reported over 60% of teachers felt inexperienced in arts education, and over 50% unable to engage young people with the arts. Our vision is to support the education sector by inspiring teachers, to in turn support and inspire their young people.”

Birmingham Hippodrome currently works with 44 primary, secondary and SEN schools and colleges across the region, providing young people with the chance to experience and connect with theatre through the Hippodrome Education Network.

Council ditches new theatre plans over rising costs

15 Nov 2023

A scheme to build a new theatre on the site of the former Derby Assembly Rooms has been halted amid fears escalating costs could lead to "effective bankruptcy” for the council.

Derby City Council said that high inflation and interest rates had driven up predicted borrowing and construction costs for the Assembly Rooms site, which has been closed since a fire in 2014, leaving the project "unviable".

Earlier this year, the authority was awarded £20m from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to demolish the venue and replace it with a new ‘Learning Theatre’ hosting shows and offering students a place to work and perform.

The council had estimated the scheme, partnered by Derby Theatre and the University of Derby, would increase theatre attendance by 83,000, attracting an additional 25,000 visitors to the city and generating an extra £1.7m each year.

With the plan scrapped, DLUHC has agreed to a proposal to split the funds equally between Derby Theatre and the Guildhall Theatre, which has been disused since 2019.

Derby Theatre had been set to move into the new Assembly Rooms building as its current location is up for demolition. Meanwhile, the council is looking at bids from developers for the Assembly Rooms site.

Labour City Council Leader Baggy Shanker said: "The financial landscape for local government means that we can no longer take on the risk of proceeding with schemes of this scale, which could put us in the same difficult situation affecting some other local authorities who have had to declare effective bankruptcy.”

Actors lead 'flash mob' to reopen Oldham Coliseum

Save Oldham Coliseum campaigners outside the theatre holding banners and balloons
14 Nov 2023

Campaigners call for historic Oldham theatre venue to be reopened, claiming planned replacement will be too small for a producing company.

ACE releases withheld payment for Wigan NPO

External view of Arts at the Mill in The Old Courts
10 Nov 2023

After a review of Wigan-based Arts at the Mill's finances, Arts Council England has deemed the NPO solvent and released a withheld core funding payment.

Temporary theatre venue under construction in Dartford

08 Nov 2023

Work is underway on a temporary theatre venue following the closure of the Orchard Theatre in Dartford over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) concerns.

The Orchard Theatre was closed in September due to fears over RAAC in its roof.

In response, the temporary auditorium, which will have a 1,091-person capacity, is being built in Orchard West.

It will facilitate performances while refurbishment works on the Orchard Theatre are undertaken, which are expected to be completed in late 2024.

A spokesperson for Dartford Borough Council (DBC) told the BBC the temporary venue will also support the continued employment of the theatre team, visiting artists and backstage crew.

One of the temporary venue’s first events will be this year's pantomime.

Michael Harrison, Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes, said: "We're delighted that DBC and Trafalgar Theatres have found such a creative solution to keep theatre alive in Dartford while work on the Orchard Theatre is undertaken".

Just Stop Oil protest cost Les Mis £80k

06 Nov 2023

Five Just Stop Oil protesters have been warned that they could have to cover the costs of a cancelled performance of Les Miserables in October after they took to the stage and locked themselves to the set during the musical’s first act.

The disruption led to the theatre being evacuated and the cancellation of the performance. 

District Judge Michael Snow told the defendants the cost to the theatre of cancelling the show was around £80,000 and that they could be liable to pay the total amount if found guilty.

Appearing in Westminster Magistrates' Court, the protesters pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated trespass.

The trial will start at City of London Magistrates' Court on 5 February.

Crisis grant scheme for theatre workers launches

Display of tin soup and packet soup inside Morrisons supermarket located in the town of Cromer, Norfolk, England
02 Nov 2023

Royal Theatrical Fund says it does not want people in the industry to be unable to feed themselves or their family during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Curious Monkey theatre company to close after 12 years

Curious Monkey's production of Hold Me Tight
02 Nov 2023

Curious Monkey, a theatre company that has worked with marginalised communities for more than a decade, will close next year citing the current economic and political climate.

Levelling up in the North East is 'quietly catastrophic'

Hamzeh Al Hussien in Penguin by Curious Monkey, Live Theatre, September 2023
02 Nov 2023

When one cultural organisation closes, it has a damaging knock-on effect across the region, says Jack McNamara. Funders must not ignore the interdependence of the sector.

Women in theatre 'still impacted by the pandemic'

Female director giving feedback on a scene to two actors in a theatre by
01 Nov 2023

Survey finds pandemic continues to impact female workers, with numbers in the workforce falling and opportunities diminishing.

Treat intimacy co-ordinators like fight directors, says new consent guidance

Director watching rehearsal of the play stock photo
31 Oct 2023

Bectu and Equity have issued intimacy and consent guidance for drama schools, recognising the widespread use of intimacy practitioners in the creative industries.

Theatre's Black Out performance 'led to threats and abuse'

The interior of Theatre Royal Stratford East showing the stage with the safety iron down
31 Oct 2023

Theatre Royal Stratford East's decision to designate a performance for a Black audience earlier this year divided opinion, drawing both criticism and praise.

Kilmarnock boosts culture with Levelling Up cash

31 Oct 2023

Plans to regenerate cultural assets in Kilmarnock have been revealed using some of the £20m awarded to it from the government's second round of Levelling Up funding earlier this year.

A key grant beneficiary will be the Palace Theatre and Grand Hall, which will undergo extensive refurbishment. The upgraded building will offer improved accessibility, dining areas, space to host a youth theatre company and a new entrance.

Anneke Freel, Chief Officer East Ayrshire Leisure Trust, said: “This is such an exciting project for Kilmarnock and for Ayrshire that will allow us to create a theatre and concert hall that will attract high-profile performers and make performing arts more accessible to local people.”

Funds will also be used to create a “travel corridor” to link the Palace Theatre, Grand Hall and the Dick Institute with a “cultural parkland” incorporating a natural amphitheatre with a seating capacity of up to 150 people. 

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council, said: “We are all tremendously excited by this project - this is the stuff dreams are made of! This investment in our cultural offering will bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits to East Ayrshire.”

Historic theatre token sells for £9,200

30 Oct 2023

A Bristol Old Vic theatre token dating from 1766 has sold for £9,200 at auction over the weekend.

Thought to be one of 50 minted, the token was expected to reach between £1,500 and £2,500.

The token was given to the original shareholders at Bristol Old Vic, who each raised £50 for the construction of the theatre.

Inscribed with “the proprietor of this ticket is entitled to the sight of every performance to be exhibited in this house”, it offered the owner unlimited access to shows.

When asked by the BBC if the new owner would be given free access to shows, a Bristol Old Vic spokesperson said: “If it is, indeed, authentic we will honour our policy and provide free tickets to the owner”.

Bristol Old Vic Chair, Bernard Donoghue, added on Twitter/X: “I’m delighted for whoever the new owner of a little bit of our history is”. ⁦

Royal Exchange drops Artistic Director role

26 Oct 2023

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre will adopt a new leadership structure following the departure of its co-Artistic Directors earlier this year.

The Stage reports that rather than fill the roles vacated earlier this year by Roy Alexander Weise and Bryony Shanahan, Chief Executive Stephen Freeman intends to hire a Creative Director who will become one of three artistic leaders, alongside a new Associate Director and the theatre’s current Dramaturg, Suzanne Bell. 

The Creative Director will be responsible for programming but will not be expected to direct shows. They will also be Deputy Chief Executive, but not Joint Chief Executive with Freeman – as Weise and Shanahan had been. 

Freeman indicated that the new Creative Director will appoint five part-time Associates to represent “a collection of voices from different backgrounds and disciplines – artistic voices who will lead our programmes of work”.

Throughout its 47-year history, Royal Exchange has operated with a traditional Artistic Director model, though unusually, the role has been shared more often than not.

Theatres call for £56.7m energy fund from next government

LED lights on a truss
26 Oct 2023

It's estimated that measures funded by a proposed support package to adopt energy saving measures would save UK theatres as much as £6.2m a year.

Theatre concrete disruption continues in run-up to Christmas

The auditorium of The Orchard Theatre, Dartford
24 Oct 2023

While some venues are planning to reopen or move performances to temporary venues, others remain closed as disruption caused by discovery of aerated concrete in buildings persists.

Council won't give up on ‘once in a lifetime’ theatre funding

24 Oct 2023

Somerset Council has pledged not to lose a £10m grant to redevelop the Octogan Theatre in Yeovil despite the project being put on hold due to rising costs.

Plans to turn the theatre into a ‘flagship arts venue’ were initially expected to cost £23m, with a grant from Arts Council England (ACE) providing £10m and the remainder due to come from external borrowing. But councillors paused the project to evaluate cheaper options for the site after the estimated cost rose to £30.7m.

However, changes to the plans to make them more affordable could mean the grant from ACE would be pulled, and the council would need to rebid for the money with an updated business plan. 

The deputy leader of Somerset Council, Liz Leyshon, said in a BBC report the original ACE grant was something “none of us have ever seen in our lifetime before” and promised that councillors would “not let that opportunity go”.

She also defended the authority’s handling of the matter, adding: "People in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Arts Council are well aware of challenges to big projects in other arts venues across the country, so they know, I'm sure, that we're being responsible here.

"It is our responsibility to come up with, through the options appraisal, an alternative business case that can achieve the same outcomes, but with a lesser pressure on the council's overall budget."

Funding for the original project included a £16.3m loan from the Public Works Loan Board at 1.5%. After councillors were told that the rate had increased to  5.6%, with repayments expected to reach £1m annually, the plan was deemed “unaffordable”.

Leyshon said the council faced “huge” budget challenges but upheld the council's commitment to arts funding. She said: "People of all ages must be able to have happy, healthy, fulfilling lives, and the opportunity to either perform or be in the audience is a part of that prevention agenda."
 

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