News

Birmingham's Library and Repertory Theatre is to be used for temporary courtrooms as the Government takes steps to alleviate pressure on the court system and tackle outstanding cases. The Birmingham venues are starting to hear cases this week, with more venues due to open by the end of January, when the total number of Nightingale Courts will reach 40.

A statement on The Rep's website says the decision was a financial one, "made in the context of exceptional circumstances". It says: "The Government's Job Retention Scheme, Arts Council Emergency Fund and Culture Recovery Fund have provided very welcome additional funding, but only until March 2021. We have reduced our costs, closed our building for a prolonged period and downsized our staff team, losing 50+ valued members of staff across the REP and its trading companies."

The courts will hear civil, family and tribunals work as well as non-custodial crime cases; sentencing will not take place on site. They will occupy two of the three theatre spaces and associated meeting rooms in the theatre and library, with the largest theatre and all backstage and office areas retained for staff. Events will continue to be staged throughout this period, as performances will not take place at the same time as the courts are in use.

But The Rep has been accused of 'breaking trust' for doing a deal to lease its building to the Ministry of Justice and an ensuing social media storm has seen them accused of racism and alienating staff, audiences and the cultural workforce.

One Twitter post said: "Turning community art spaces into courtrooms is violence. Much harm is done to people in the court system, and so it removes the theatre from being a space of safety for those oppressed and marginalised". Another commented: "No words can express the heartbreak & the breaking of Trust I feel RN. No organisation can claim to be anti racist if (sic) they uphold the very fabric of systematic racial oppression. Remove your statements they are false."

But others defended the move - one saying: "I don't understand the backlash. Having worked for the court service I no (sic) how the situation is for families. Cases hopefully will be heard quicker and the rep getting much needed funds. I say well done in diversifying."

The Rep has taken to Twitter to "condemn outright" all threats of violence against individuals who have spoken out about their decision regarding the use of the building. They said: "We hear and respect each and every opinion and will respond".

A new partnership between the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Preston City Council will see the Harris Museum and Library open its doors to students and the public for teaching, research, community engagement and leisure activities. The aim is to further develop the Harris as a city centre cultural and civic hub.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the two organisations, outlining their plans for developing the arts and wellbeing in Preston. These include developing a city centre resource for supporting artists, producers, projects and SMEs in the creative sector; supporting UCLan students and staff to work with the Harris’s collections; and using the museum’s resources and spaces for students to exhibit their work to the public.

Cultural links between the two institutions have already been established, with Turner Prize winning artist Lubaina Himid, who is a Professor of Contemporary Art at UCLan, having exhibited her work in the gallery.

Councillor Peter Kelly, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure at Preston City Council, said: “The Harris’ ambition is to be a focal hub for creativity and making, information and learning in spaces that celebrate heritage and promote wellbeing”. It has, he said, “the potential to be far more than an iconic building, and this partnership can only further help in making the vision and ambition become a reality.”

A £10.02m scheme to reimagine the Harris is currently underway to preserve the Grade 1 listed building and develop it as a cultural attraction and community hub for future generations. A £4.5m bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, if successful, will enable the project to start in spring 2021.

Camden People’s Theatre, which supports early-career artists making unconventional theatre, is to begin a redevelopment programme that will see its building open to the community both day and night.

The building – originally a pub – has been re-designed in consultation with artists, staff, audiences and community members. It will include a new community café and have much greater on-street presence. The refurbishment will provide better access facilities including automatic doors; improved sightlines; a more comfortable bar and foyer space; increased performance space; and acoustic separation between that space and the street and bar.

A grant from the Cultural Capital Kickstart fund will enable the theatre to complete building work over the next four months while it remains closed to audiences due to pandemic restrictions. It aims to re-open in the spring as a community-focused civic space.

John Myers, Chair of Drummond Street Neighbourhood Forum, said: “The theatre has tirelessly supported the Drummond Street community over the last 25 years and the co-design process, which a number of our residents have been involved in, gave us the chance to be directly involved in the ambition for the building. This project promises to secure CPT’s future in our area and ensure the organisation can thrive over the next 20 years, building a stronger community through an unprecedented time of change and upheaval.”

Despite the lockdown across England, advance ticket sales to UK venues during November were at their highest level since the pandemic took hold in March - down by 84.6% compared with the same month last year, according the Covid-19 Sector Benchmark published by management consultants TRG Arts and data specialists Purple Seven. This figure, taken from 228 box office feeds from both commercial and not-for-profit venues, is a significant improvement on October, when sales were down 90.1%.

The Benchmark also captures data on philanthropy from a smaller sample of not-for-profit venues. Figures for gift revenue in November 2020 exceeded what was achieved the previous year by 52%, with the revival relying on a smaller number of givers giving on average more. The number of donors was down by 13% compared to the previous year.

Plans for a £16m Centre for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dundee have been abandoned after a five-year effort to raise the necessary funding failed to reach its target.

The development of the former Head Post Office building, which was bought by the High School of Dundee in 2013, was envisaged as being for the benefit of both the school and the wider local community. It would have included an auditorium, music, dance, drama and visual arts spaces and facilities, home economics facilities, a new dining hall and other social areas.