Placemaking

A theatre set up in a former shop in Coventry to allow audiences to enter a space and meet artists as equals is to close after 13 years.

Theatre Absolute has run the Shop Front Theatre in City Arcade since 2009, but has said it will close in November, with the premises due to be demolished next year as part of city centre redevelopment plans. 

The theatre, inspired by a model in Chicago, was set up by Theatre Absolute Artistic Directors Chris O’Connell and Julia Negus in partnership with Coventry City Council. 

It was the first, and remains the only, professional shop front theatre in the UK.

O'Connell said: “It will be immensely sad to see the space and the Arcade itself go, it’s been a brilliant home for independents. 

“But we had already decided that Theatre Absolute’s future lay in progressing our work in other ways and we’re excited to start exploring that.”

More than one million people attended events in Coventry during the city’s stint as UK City of Culture, according to analysis from organisers.

Coventry’s year-long programme came to an end last Tuesday (31 May), after 709 events took place across the city, including Radio 1’s Big Weekend and the 2021 International Booker Prize.

More than 389,000 tickets were issued for live events, with a further 137,000 attending unticketed live events. The programme’s online audience, which pulled focus for events affected by lockdown, is estimated to have reached over 516,000.

The initial results do not include visitors to the public art programme, participation and workshop activity figures, or the creative programme funded by Coventry City of Culture Trust but delivered by partner organisations, which will be reported in the final evaluation.

Coventry secured more than £172m of direct investment to support its programme of events. City Council leader George Duggins says the calendar succeeded in bringing people together to help build a lasting legacy.

“The people, firms and organisations of Coventry will be feeling the benefits of our year as UK City of Culture for a long time to come – through improved prosperity, greater access to the arts, and a better quality of life.”

£5m has been committed to maintain the impact of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

Starting in June, Coventry City of Culture Trust will launch a new phase of programming, expected to reach more than 500,000 audience members, secure 32 full-time jobs and support more than 50 freelance artists and cultural workers over two years.

George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said becoming UK City of Culture was “not just about the year itself but about building a lasting legacy that would benefit local people and organisations”.

The City Hosts volunteer programme will be extended and other legacy projects pursued, including the return of the Assembly Festival Garden and the launch of the U.K.’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, the Reel Store, in May.

There will be a focus on “the urgent and critical issue of sustainability” and a new grants programme will be established, the trust added. 
 

Prince Charles and Queen Letizia of Spain officially opened a new gallery of Spanish art in Bishop Auckland last week.

The first UK museum dedicated exclusively to Spanish art is part of the Auckland Project, which seeks to regenerate the township around Auckland Castle. It first opened to the public in October.

It features works by Francisco de Zurbarán, which were housed in the castle for more than 250 years before going up for sale in 2011.

They were purchased by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, who is the gallery's benefactor.

Three cultural and creative 'zones' will be established in the North East of England.

North of Tyne Combined Authority has invested £5m to create a "supportive and attractive environment" for creative businesses in North Shields town centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Clayton Street in central Newcastle.

A report from the authority says the North Shields initiative in particular will "play a pivotal role in reinvigorating the place and creating social and economic benefits for the people who live, work and visit there – building social inclusion and helping to create a sense of pride".

The Berwick-upon-Tweed project is being led by Northumberland City Council, which is awaiting a full business case before giving final approval.

Black Country Living Museum has received £30m to create new attractions that "whisk people back in time".

The project, titled Forging Ahead, is the museum's largest ever, expanding its footprint by about a third. 

It stalled due to a funding gap caused by the costs of cleaning up an industrial site needed for the expansion. Funding has now been committed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, whose Mayor Andy Street called the project "incredibly exciting".

It will offer visitors the chance to experience what life was like between the 1940s and 1960s with a historic old town and industrial quarter, among other spaces.

Wolverhampton’s iconic Elephant and Castle pub will be recreated and Dudley’s Woodside Library will be  rebuilt brick-by-brick on the museum site.

Chief Executive Andrew Lovett said the development "provides added momentum to thrive once again" following the challenges of Covid-19.