BHLive, operator of council-owned Fairfield Halls in the London borough of Croydon, made the last of their staff at the venue redundant at the end of October, just days after it was awarded a £2.5m Culture Recovery grant.
30 senior, full-time jobs there have been made redundant by BHLive since August, in addition to the 80 part-time and casual roles that were terminated in June.
Fairfield Halls reopened in September 2019 following a £43m refurbishment, which opened 6 months late and significantly over its £30m budget.
BHLive was awarded the contract to run the venue in 2017, but questions remain as to whether it has actually signed the operating lease for the building, which includes a 1,801-seat concert hall, the 755-seat Ashcroft Theatre and the Arnhem Gallery which is also used for standing concerts of up to 400.
A council scrutiny report reveals visitor numbers between opening and the end of December last year were 88,000 ticket sales - 26% occupancy against a business plan target of 45%.