The multi-million pound reboot of the Lighthouse in Poole is only the beginning of its journey towards an inclusive participatory future, says Stephen Wrentmore.
The £5.3m upgrade of Lighthouse will enable Poole’s centre for the arts to launch its plans for a more inclusive participatory future that places the organisation at the heart of its community and affirms its position as one of the south west’s leading cultural providers.
With limited public funding we are spending money wisely to present a world-class programme that represents a genuine alternative to the trip to London
Our goal is that 20% of the work seen here should be made, initiated or produced in-house, with and within our community. This is in support of the diverse programme we already present including Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, touring productions and our Christmas presentations.
Worth the modernisation
Lighthouse has undergone a number of changes over the summer including the complete transformation of our Studio theatre, the creation of a new education and rehearsal space, modernised dressing rooms, a green room and improved security. We’ve also made a number of improvements to make the building more energy-efficient.
With limited public funding we are spending money wisely to present a world-class programme that represents a genuine alternative to a trip to London. From the learning and participation programmes that we enable, to the work that is being made in our spaces, and the national and international collaborations and presentations that appear on our stages, everything we do is part of making sure that what goes on in the building is worthy of the money and effort spent on modernising it.
Space for new thoughts
At the heart of it all, we must ask why we exist and for whom. The answers are complex and our audiences varied, but there is a space that we should and must fulfil in order to support, nurture and celebrate the work that is and will be made in Poole and the wider Dorset area. That is where my work begins.
My first piece at Lighthouse, in the newly created Sherling Studio, is the premiere of Archipelago, a play by Caridad Svich. The Sherling Studio will be our space for new thoughts, either from emerging artists and companies taking their first steps, or new steps taken by established artists.
A different culture
Lighthouse has been through a cosmetic change to the building, but it is also going through a deeper and more profound change in its artistic and intellectual philosophy. This is the start. As a cultural hub, it will be a space for sharing and part of our thinking will tie together narratives across the arts and learning experiences in all our spaces to create a coherent, if sometimes deliberately discordant, message.
We are in a different culture of giving than when I was last in this position in the UK. I have been working in the US for the past five years, but the signs are that arts funding will continue to diversify and change. What we see here will be a mixed funding ecosystem, but what is important and liberating about state funding is the way you can invest in and nurture the art.
It creates time to think and as we nurture a culture of philanthropy, it will be the quality and importance of the work, together with the learning and education programmes, that will become the compelling fundraiser.
Our challenge is to enable the people who are already making work to do it, and to attract those that have yet to find they want to make work. Lighthouse can be the space where they meet, where they grow and develop. Get it wrong, get it right, learn, fail, play… who knows?
Stephen Wrentmore is Artistic Producer of Lighthouse.
www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
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