Regeneration

Kilburn Library in Brent is in need of a £765,000 refurbishment to tackle structural concerns about the building, according to council sources.

Both the building and the garden have been described as “in a poor state” by Brent Council’s Corporate Director of Resident Services, amid concerns that further damage to the building may cause it to become “increasingly unsafe”.

“If the Library Service doesn’t act now… then the long-term future of Kilburn Library may be jeopardised,” warned a council report on the library’s condition.

It added that “the building itself may need partial closure if structural problems are not addressed quickly. If no investment is put into the current facilities the condition will decline further.”

Damage to the structure includes large cracks, My London reported.

The necessary refurbishments are expected to cost £765,000. The library has been awarded a £231,000 grant from Arts Council England’s Library Improvement Fund, leaving £534,000 currently outstanding.

If the project goes head, work will begin in November, with reopening set for April 2024. The council is negotiating a temporary move to The Granville, a local community building in South Kilburn in the interim.

As well as tackling structural problems, the refurbishment project will seek to create new hireable spaces to generate additional income and invest in the library’s “underutilised” garden.

“The project will futureproof the library facilities for an estimated further ten years and enable more flexible use,” said Brent Council’s Corporate Director of Resident Services.

“It will alleviate some of the pressures of cyclical maintenance required to maintain its current condition.”

The Neuadd Dwyfor Arts Centre in Pwllheli has received a £36,000 grant from Arts Council of Wales to develop a new programme.

The funding will allow the cultural hub, situated on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales, to offer more live events, including music, cabaret, comedy, dance and theatre.

The theatre and cinema is due to reopen this week following a period of maintenance work to safeguard its historic building, which was built in 1900 and has been an entertainment space since 1902.

Recently completed renovations include re-rendering the external red brickwork, renewing the lead work and installing new windows. 

“This is a new and exciting chapter in the long history of Neuadd Dwyfor, thanks to significant investment to protect this important resource by Cyngor Gwynedd with the support of the Welsh Government,” said Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Cabinet Member for Cyngor Gwynedd's Economy and Community department.

“I am also grateful to the arts council for their support in developing a contemporary arts programme that will attract audiences for this new chapter."

African theatre company Utopia Theatre has secured dedicated new premises for its recently launched Youth Academy in Sheffield.

The Youth Academy launched earlier this year and will move from its current home in St Mary’s Church to the new venue in the coming months. 

Utopia Theatre will use the new space to host workshops and performing arts classes for young people of African and Caribbean descent, as well as those from other minority groups. It will also offer a mentoring and training programme. 

The new venue is a 171-square-metre former hairdressing shop unit, located on The Moor. It was secured with the help of Hammond Associates, a Leeds-based company that specialises in making empty commercial property available to artists, arts and community-based charities.

The new premises, which are being offered rent and service-charge free on a temporary basis by landlord NewRiver Retail, will be fitted with workshop and rehearsal spaces.

The theatre will also maintain its base at The Crucible Theatre, where it is a resident company.

“It’s important that our Youth Academy members, alongside our brilliant team at Utopia Theatre, feel a sense of belonging and ownership and I’m confident this will provide a fantastic collaborative, supportive and vibrant workshop and rehearsal space,” said Mojisola Kareem-Elufowoju, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Utopia Theatre.

“It’s also important for us to be able to play our part in the regeneration and re-use of The Moor in Sheffield, so bringing a new lease of life to this area of the city is a real bonus. 

“We are immensely proud of our Sheffield roots and it’s brilliant to be able to play our part in shaping the future of the area by making use of commercial space which is otherwise unused.” 

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.

Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre will close in April to undergo a £29m renovation.

The project will see the venue equipped with a new cinema, dance studios and a new circle area added to the main performance space, increasing capacity from 622 to 900.

Redevelopment works are expected to last a year, after being approved by South Somerset District Council.

The council’s portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, Mike Best, commented: "The redevelopment will better enable the arts to reach out into the community".

"And there will be opportunities to develop a more considered culture offer across the county."

Plans have been put forward to turn a former warehouse in Whitehaven in Cumbria into a new music and arts venue.

The redevelopment of the building in the North West port town will provide spaces for recording, rehearsing, workshops and performance.

The proposals, which have been put forward by developers BEC (Britain’s Energy Coast), working in collaboration with local music charity Soundwave, include using recycled shipping containers within the building to create a variety of new spaces.

David Roberts, Soundwave director, said: “We believe this new creative space could be the catalyst for bringing about a change of attitude towards music, arts and culture in West Cumbria.

“It’s a huge step forward for local young creatives and the wider community, a safe creative space where people will be able to discover, explore and perform.”

BEC Chief Executive Michael Pemberton said: “It’s really important that we build a community where people feel welcome, supported and encouraged to grow their skills, showcase their talent, have fun and be part of something special.”

“We’re passionate about making West Cumbria a better place to live, work, visit and ‘play’ and we believe this creative proposition will bring this space back into the spotlight.”

A two-day public consultation about the plans for the building on Bransty Row in the town centre will take place on 27 and 28 February.