Oldham Coliseum: Review into state of building ordered

Billboards outside Oldham Coliseum
17 Apr 2023

Independent reviews into theatre building and previous governance to take place as Board Chair calls for 'full transparency' into Oldham Coliseum's NPO funding loss.

Theatre Peckham appointed to run Canada Water Theatre

12 Apr 2023

Southwark Council has appointed a new operator for Canada Water Theatre, the performance space in the Piers Gough-designed Canada Water Library.

Theatre Peckham will take over from Deptford's The Albany, which has managed and programmed the space for the past 11 years. 

The new operator of the 150-seat space plans to rebrand the theatre as an artist development hub.

It aims to create free research and development opportunities for Southwark-based creatives, offer free rehearsal space for artists performing in the Peckham Fringe festival and Theatre Peckham's Young, Gifted & Black programme, and create affordable rehearshal space for companies based outside Southwark.

It will also facilitate hires for local community groups.

Councillor Catherine Rose, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks, Streets and Clean Air, said: “The new direction of the space reflects our ambition not just to platform local artists and theatre-makers, but to cultivate their talents and provide them with the resources to hone their practice and make a living."

Artistic Director and CEO of Theatre Peckham Suzann McLean said: "The venue will provide a much-needed space for Southwark artists to come together and collaborate on projects, be a resource for sector-wide theatre companies seeking a performance space, and continue as a community hub for local groups. 

"This opportunity will allow us to further our commitment to artistic excellence, social change, and community connections."

Brixton Academy remains closed for health and safety review

12 Apr 2023

The O2 Academy Brixton is to remain closed while it undergoes a 'thorough' health and safety review by Lambeth Council.

The South London music venue, operated by the Academy Music Group, has been closed since 15 December following a crowd crush which left two people dead and a third person in a critical condition.

The council has appointed Paul Martin, a former CEO of multiple councils, to independently lead the health and safety investigation.

Martin will be acting under Regulation 3 and Schedule 1 of the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998.

Lambeth Council’s Chief Executive Bayo Dosunmu said: “We are very mindful of the profound impact this incident has had on many people who were present at the O2 Academy on that night and on the family and loved ones of the two people who tragically lost their lives that evening, and the person that remains in a critical condition.

“In order that Lambeth Council rigorously and independently investigates what happened on that evening, I have asked one of London’s most experienced former chief executives to lead on the health and safety investigation on behalf of the council, working closely with the Metropolitan police."

Businessman confirmed as new operator of North Shields theatre

The Exchange Theatre building in North Shields.
11 Apr 2023

North Tyneside Council has appointed a local entrepreneur as the new operator of The Exchange Theatre in North Shields, ending the seven-year tenure of a local charity.

Lewisham, London's Borough of Culture engaged majority of local schools

04 Apr 2023

Lewisham starts work on a cultural strategy following successful stint as London Borough of Culture focused on young people, community and cultural activism.

Norwich Theatre Royal becomes a Real Living Wage employer

04 Apr 2023

As part of Norwich’s designation as a Living Wage City, Norwich Theatre, Royal has signed up to the Living Wage Foundation’s Real Living Wage scheme, awarding pay increases of at least 10% to eligible Theatre Royal and Playhouse staff.

Eligible full-time employees will receive an average pay increase of 10.3%, while variable-hour employees will see their hourly pay rise 14.7%.

The theatre’s decision to join the scheme comes amid a three-year plan, spearheaded by the city council, to significantly expand the number of employers in Norwich paying the Real Living Wage.

As of April 1, the government's National Living Wage is £10.42 per hour for workers aged 23 and over. The minimum wage for workers aged 21 and 22 is £10.18, with those aged 18 to 20 receiving £7.49 and under-18s and apprentices £5.28.

The Real Living Wage – which is calculated based on the cost of living – is higher, with participating businesses agreeing to pay any employee aged 18 and older at least £10.90 per hour, rising to £11.95 in London.

“The news that one of our key cultural institutions is to become a Real Living Wage Employer is tremendous and a significant boost to the campaign to ensure everyone across Norwich gets a decent wage,” said Norwich City Council leader Alan Waters.

Eastbourne community arts programme awarded £480,000

03 Apr 2023

A community arts programme in Eastbourne scheduled to coincide with the 2023 Turner Prize has been awarded £480,000 in funding from Arts Council England.

The funding will support Towner Eastbourne, the gallery set to host the Turner Prize later this year, along with a range of local partners, to boost creative and cultural opportunities in the seaside town.

The funding has been allocated from ACE's Place Partnership Fund, backed by the National Lottery, and will facilitate Eastbourne ALIVE, a project aimed primarily at children and young people and those from disadvantaged communities.

Headed by Project Director Sarah Dance, the project aims to create a new legacy for Eastbourne by broadening access to art and culture through creative experiences and activities in and around the town. 

“Our ambition is to place the town’s image firmly in the hands of young people, harnessing their creative energy for years to come,” Dance said.

The project, which is backed by East Sussex County Council, involves community partners including Compass Arts, which will curate a visual arts exhibition in hotels along the seafront, with an open submission programme intended to serve as a platform for vulnerable and disabled artists.

Devonshire Collective will work with local young people and marginalised communities to co-curate a series of commissions, events, talks and films inspired by the Turner Prize in multiple locations.

Towner Eastbourne is also set to deliver an engagement project that will provide exclusive access to the Turner Prize exhibition, artist-led activities and a digital and printed toolkit for Year 9 students in local schools.

The project will also engage East Sussex Public Health to measure the impact of creative projects on young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health. It includes a partnership with Talent Accelerator to encourage and support young people interested in creative industry careers.

“We know that creative opportunities can have a powerful impact on children and young people’s lives - supporting their confidence, encouraging them to develop and embrace new ideas, and helping them to build connections,” said Hazel Edwards, Area Director, South East at ACE.

“The creative skills development and career pathways embedded in this project will ensure that there is an important legacy to Towner Eastbourne hosting the Turner Prize.”
 

Formal probes into Coventry City of Culture Trust confirmed

Machine Memoirs
03 Apr 2023

National Audit Office and Charity Commission confirm inquiries into financial management of the charity, after ex-senior staff bypass meeting arranged by Coventry City Council for the second time.

Oldham Coliseum takes final curtain call

A performance of Bread & Roses at Oldham Coliseum
03 Apr 2023

Sell out event marks the closure of Oldham Coliseum as campaign to secure new theatre in the town gets underway.

National Glass Centre set for relocation

31 Mar 2023

University of Sunderland says it is in talks regarding future site options for the centre, as locals raise concerns against relocation plans.

Plan to reopen Nottingham Castle gets green light

28 Mar 2023

Nottingham Castle will reopen to the public after plans were formally approved by the city council.

The museum and heritage site closed last November due to the collapse of the charitable trust that ran it. It had been open for just 18 months following a £31m redevelopment.

Members of Nottingham City Council's executive board backed a strategy that will see the city centre site open to the public from May. However, the council is yet to decide whether the site will be run by its own museum and gallery service, by an external provider, or in partnership.

Pavlos Kotsonis, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning, said: “This is a site which belongs to the whole of Nottingham and I’m hopeful that our approach, which draws on our successful experience of running Wollaton and Newstead, will first and foremost meet with local approval.

“I have no doubt that Nottingham Castle can also become a destination of national and international importance, just as we had envisaged when the £31m of improvements were completed.”

Council Leader David Mellen reportedly told the board: “We needed to get this open as quickly as we can, and we have done that now.” 

 

Historic South London house to reopen as arts centre

28 Mar 2023

An historic building owned by Southwark Council is set to reopen as an arts centre and events venue.

The Grade II listed Kingswood House in West Dulwich, South London will be refurbished and run by the newly created, not-for-profit community interest company Kingswood Arts CIC.

Originally built in 1811, the property and grounds have been owned and managed by the council since the 1950s.

The house, which has previously been home to a small library and youth club, closed to the public in March 2019 because it was deemed unsafe for public use.

Jack Hartshorn, co-founder and general manager of Kingswood Arts, said: “We are so excited and privileged to be given the opportunity to reopen the doors of this amazing historic building.

"We will operate the building with care, creativity and consciousness of the environment, but most importantly, we believe that co-creation with the community here is the only way to make a genuine impact on people's lives."

Kingswood Arts will be holding a launch festival on the weekend of 8 and 9 April with music, food and drink, and a bouncy castle for children.

Manchester railway arches to become spaces for artists

27 Mar 2023

Three historic railway arches in Manchester are to be transformed into new training and rehearshal spaces for artists.

The £3.7m project is being funded with £2.3m from the government's Levelling Up fund, £900,000 from Manchester City Council and £500,000 from nearby arts venue HOME, which will operate the spaces when they open in May next year.

HOME director Dave Moutrey said the arches "will allow us to grow the work that we do with artists in the North West, across theatre, film, visual art and digital works".

The scheme is part of the council's Culture In The City project, which it secured nearly £20m of Levelling Up funding for.

Council leader Bev Craig said: "These arches are part of our heritage which have sat unloved and underused for many years. 

"This scheme is bringing them back to life with a very modern purpose – complementing the thriving cultural economy in our city."

 

Birmingham Council rubberstamps £3m-a-year for culture

A carnival procession through Birmingham as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival
22 Mar 2023

The funding will be split between 10 organisations over the next three years, with money also earmarked for local arts development.

Campaigners protest ongoing closure of Swindon museum

21 Mar 2023

Campaigners in Swindon calling for a museum to reopen held a tea party earlier this week to mark three years since its closure.

Swindon’s Museum and Art Gallery has been closed since March 2020, when the first Covid-19 lockdown measures were announced.

Since then, Swindon Borough Council has agreed to sell the museum’s former venue, Apsley House, to a property developer.

The museum was supposed to be rehoused in a new building, but Councillor Matty Courtliff said that inflation had increased contractors’ estimates, leading to a funding shortfall.

Linda Casmaty, Chair of the Friends of Swindon Museum, told the BBC that she was “disappointed and frustrated” by the situation.

“It's not fair on the people of Swindon – it has been identified as an area of low cultural engagement,” she said. “It could be 10 to 15 years before a new museum is built.”

Instead of funding a new building for the museum, Courtliff said the council was looking into installing the museum and art exhibits on the first floor of the town’s Civic Offices, but no timeline has been provided to local residents. 

Campaigners said that the town, which has a population of more than 220,000 people, currently has no art gallery and nowhere to display its art collection.

“You need to be able to see art, it's no use looking at it in a book,” Casmaty said. “We could get so many visitors if they would open this.

“I'm very keen that Swindon could become a tourist destination and this is one of the things we need.”

North Shields theatre to reopen with new operator

21 Mar 2023

The charity that runs the Exchange Theatre in North Shields has announced that it will close the venue after failing to reach an agreement with the local council over the use of the site.

The theatre, café and bar is housed in the Grade II-listed Saville Exchange building, owned by North Tyneside Council.

It will close for up to four weeks from 17 April, while it undergoes a refit, before reopening with a new operator as part of the council’s plans to develop the town.

For the past seven years, the theatre has been operated by the Exchange Theatre charity. Tony Bridges, Chair of the charity’s board, said it had created a space to inspire future generations through the arts, ensuring the arts were accessible to all, not just to “one section of society”.

“It is with sadness that we are preparing to leave the building”, a spokesperson for the charity said.

John Sparkes, Director of Regeneration and Economic Development at North Tyneside Council, said that the building is key to plans for creating a vibrant “Cultural Quarter” in the town.

He added that the new operators, selected through an open tender process, were prepared to invest significantly in the building. 

“We'll be working closely with the new operator on the transfer of the building and look forward to seeing this cultural landmark flourish in the future”, he said.
 

Oldham Council 'unable to hand full ACE grant to Coliseum'

16 Mar 2023

Local authority says it is 'not able' to handover entirety of £1.85m offered to it by Arts Council England to Oldham Coliseum, despite ACE insisting that there is no 'block' on what it can be used for.

Museum's artefact database 'inaccessible' after cyber attack

16 Mar 2023

A cyber attack linked to Russian hackers that took place more than a year ago is continuing to prevent a museum from accessing its artefact database.

The BBC reports that benefit payments, planning applications and house sales were all delayed when Gloucester City Council was hit by hackers in December 2021.

A new council report has revealed that the Museum of Gloucester is still being affected by the cyber incident.

"It is very worrying that in a council report it was mentioned that the museum services had not had access to its collections database, hindering important investigation into the city's historic monuments," Jeremy Hilton, Leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group at the council, said.

"I hope this important information isn't lost forever or that officers will not have to spend their valuable time inputting data all over again."

Andy Lewis, Portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure at the council, said he believed no records had been lost.

Growing calls for inquiry into Coventry City of Culture Trust 

16 Mar 2023

Politicians call for formal inquiry into handling of charity’s finances, as accounts show expenditure exceeded grants from leading arts and culture bodies.

Hunt extends tax relief for theatres and museums

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivering the Spring Budget
15 Mar 2023

Theatre sector welcomes commitment in Spring Budget to extend higher rate tax relief for a further two years, saying it will help them attract new investment.

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