Delivering Sustainable Theatres

Theatres Mag
ISSUE #32 SUMMER 12
Delivering Sustainable Theatres
Theatre Buildings from Vision to Reality
Wales Millennium Centre – a model of sustainability
Community Asset Transfer and Tameside Hippodrome
How to make your sustainability strategy pay
Ecovenue: Assessing DEC data
Showcase: The MAC, Belfast
Protecting theatres for everyone
2
5
A
6
19
B
C
D
E
F
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Delivering Sustainable Theatres 2–4
Theatre Buildings from Vision to Reality 5
Wales Millennium Centre – a model of sustainability 6–9
Community Asset Transfer and
Tameside Hippodrome 10–12
Showcase: The MAC, Belfast 13–16
How to make your sustainability strategy pay 17–18
Ecovenue: Assessing DEC data 19–21
&
Theatres Round-up 22–23
Current Casework 24–25
Reading Matter 26–27
Photo diary 28
Front cover photo:
Stratford Circus © Maëliss Preux
Theatres Magazine is edited by Paul Connolly.
© 2012 The Theatres Trust Charitable Fund.
All unsigned or otherwise uncredited articles
are the work of the Editor. The views expressed
editorially or by correspondents in this magazine
are not necessarily those of the Trust. Notes,
queries and letters are always welcome.
ISSN: 1759-7668
Designed by www.vincentdesign.co.uk
Printed by Wyndeham Gait Limited
" !
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#
! The triple bottom line
Mhora Samuel
Director
On the 12 June the Trust’s Conference 12 takes place
at Stratford Circus, within sight of the future Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park and the newly opened Stratford
City. Only four years ago, in May 2008, work started on
the construction of the Park. In June that year we used
our annual conference, Building Sustainable Theatres,
to look at theatres environmental sustainability.
Opening this conference issue of TM I reflect
on the event in 2008 and what has changed
since. Recession, a new government, and new
planning regulations have all influenced the
way we look at sustainability today. The bottom
line is no longer talked about only in terms of
the economic, it now includes the social and
the environmental – the triple bottom line.
One of the theatres on our Theatres at Risk
Register, Tameside Hippodrome, which has
been closed since 2008, is being transferred
into community ownership. Keith DalbyOldham, trustee of the Tameside Heritage
and Arts Trust who is spearheading the
asset transfer, explains how they are making
use of this new legislation.
One venue that has engaged with this in its
working practices is the Wales Millennium
Centre. Bet Davies takes us through how
they are delivering the Welsh Government’s
Sustainable Development Charter. In London,
the Royal Opera House and the Royal Albert
Hall have made great strides and have been
the subject of a recent Arup-funded study.
The study’s authors, Darren Wright and Chris
Jofeh give us an insight into their findings
and some tips on building sustainability.
We raised awareness of the introduction of
Display Energy Certificates at Conference 08
and four years on we have a body of evidence
on theatres’ energy use. Tim Atkinson, our
Theatre Buildings Services Adviser looks at
the results in his article on the Trust’s DEC
Pool. As part of the conference, we will also
be hosting a special exhibition celebrating
the journey of the Ecovenue participants,
and publishing a new guide on energy
management, Energising Culture, jointly
published by The Theatres Trust through
the Ecovenue project, and Julie’s Bicycle.
The ‘presumption in favour of sustainable
development’ now guides the National
Planning Policy Framework in the English
planning system as a result of the Localism
Act introduced in 2011. This Act has many
implications for theatres, and local authorities
now have to maintain lists of assets of
community value and consider nominations for
listing from community groups. When assets
come up for sale, groups have the right to put
in a bid before it goes onto the open market.
I’m delighted to announce that we will also
be launching a new Theatres Trust Members
Service open to theatres and theatrerelated organisations at Conference 12.
It will consolidate our current advisory work,
including areas covered by Ecovenue when it
ends, and will provide members with priority
access to general advice and resources, and
cost reductions on specialist support including
our Theatres Advisory Review (a new peer
review service); a new workshop programme
to commence in the autumn; our annual
conference; and hire of our Resource Centre
meeting rooms.
In 2008, we talked about the changes to
building regulations due to have a major
impact on improving building sustainability.
The MAC, in Belfast, which opened in
April this year has achieved a BREEAM
‘Excellent’ rating, setting it as one of Northern
Ireland’s most sustainable buildings. Anne
McReynolds, the Chief Executive of the
MAC and a Theatres Trust trustee, introduces
us to the Hall McKnight designed venue
in our Showcase.
Not all theatres and cultural venues built
in recent years have been so successful.
Alistair Fair introduces us briefly to his new
publication ‘Geometry and Atmosphere’
co-written with Alan Short and Peter Barrett.
The book suggests that there needs to be
more consideration of the processes used to
develop and deliver theatre buildings if we are
to learn from the mistakes of the past and
address the question of sustainability.
The Olympics will be over on the 9 September.
On the 11 September we will publish a final
report on the Ecovenue project at Plasa 2012.
For both Stratford and ourselves there
will be celebrations this year, but the
hard work will continue and their legacies
will live on. I look forward to welcoming
theatres into our new Membership Service
and embracing the outcomes of
Conference 12 into the Trust’s work.
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 1
Delivering
sustainable
theatres
© Dan Balilty
Mhora Samuel, The Theatres Trust’s Director
introduces the Conference 12 programme.
Four years on from our conference in 2008,
‘Building Sustainable Theatres’, one of the
aims this year is to look at what’s changed,
how we’re doing things differently and what’s
important to address now. We’ll be hearing
again from some speakers and organisations
who were leading the way in 2008, including
Mark Watts, the Mayor of London’s Chief
Advisor on Climate Change at the time
and Rab Bennetts the architect behind the
redevelopment of the RSC. To set the scene
I offer some reflections from 2008 and how
more recent developments have informed
the programme for this year’s conference
‘Delivering Sustainable Theatres’.
Nigel Hinds our conference chair in 2008
concluded that if our theatre buildings were to
become sustainable the sector still had much
to learn and we needed to gather accurate
data to really understand what was going on.
We could not afford to remain ignorant about
our buildings and their sustainability, their
use of natural resources, waste and water.
Theatres had the power to punch above their
weight, change their behaviour and influence
the actions of others. We had to act. We met
in June 2008. The fall of Lehman Brothers
in September marked the start of the global
2 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
recession. Our aspiration to build sustainability
into our theatres was immediately marked
by a downturn in the economy and a sharp
refocus on resilience. Making best use of our
resources, our energy, our water and recycling
our waste was no longer just about achieving
a low carbon future and looking at how to
redesign theatres so that they would meet
the requirement to be zero-carbon by 2019,
it was also now about how organisations and
buildings could manage their assets to have
an economic future and make it to 2019.
In 2008, The Theatres Trust was
keen to promote the use of Display Energy
Certificates, which publicly display the energy
use of a building. They were due to be
introduced on 1 October 2008. There had
been no testing or development with theatres
and we were concerned that the methodology
used could end up with misleading results.
Through initiatives, such as our Ecovenue
project, assisted by the European Regional
Development Fund, which helped 48 theatres
in London to achieve certification we now
have a much clearer sense of how they
work, and a more accurate understanding of
how the benchmarks need to be applied to
theatres. Tim Atkinson, the project’s Theatre
Building Services Adviser will be talking
about the results at this year’s conference.
They are certainly much more widely used
and appreciated. I was talking recently to a
venue from Manchester about their capital
redevelopment plans. One of their aspirations,
unprompted by any direct question from me,
was that whilst their DEC was already a quite
respectable B, they really wanted to become
an A. Over the last four years DECs have
bedded down and become one of the ways
theatres measure their success.
In 2008, we talked about the value of
procurement alliances. At local level more
theatres are now participating in initiatives
with other partners, such as Northern Stage
in Newcastle Upon Tyne, which is part of
Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues
(NGCV) a partnership of 10 organisations.
Erica Whyman will be telling us more about
this. Across the theatre sector this year we
also saw a new initiative ‘The Arts Basket’, a
collective energy procurement service open
to theatres and arts venues across the UK,
which currently includes the National Theatre.
We also talked about how existing
buildings needed to understand how their
building management systems operated,
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne
© Ian Grundy
establish accurate meter readings, retrofit old
HVAC systems with more efficient equipment
to reduce carbon emissions, and how building
regulations, particularly Part L would guide
construction of new buildings to conserve fuel
and power. I think we have seen great strides
in this area and theatres are far more aware
of the energy performance of their buildings
and the need to introduce better, more
efficient systems and practices to manage
their costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
Simon Harper from the National Theatre will
be talking about their NT Future Project. In our
role as a statutory consultee in the planning
system, The Theatres Trust certainly now
receives far more planning and listed building
consent applications that specifically look to
introduce these adaptations.
In 2008, we were also yet to see the
introduction of Feed In Tariff’s to encourage
small business to generate their own electricity.
Since 2010 some theatres have taken
advantage of the (initially) generous incentives.
Now we have to think about how theatres
relate to the Green Deal roll-out later this year,
changes to the Carbon Reduction Commitment
(introduced in 2010) and further proposed
changes to Part L. The aim to have new
non-domestic buildings zero-carbon by 2019
remains, but there will be even tighter CO2
targets (likely ‘to require building-integrated
renewable energy generation technologies as
well as improved building fabric’). And works
affected by Part L requiring ‘additional work to
improve the energy efficiency of the building
at the same time’, will be phased in from
October 2012 so that they are ‘aligned with
the introduction of the ‘Green Deal’ framework’.
A big area for theatres to get to grips with.
There also continues to be a requirement
for the production of Energy Performance
Certificates for newly constructed theatre
buildings and on the sale or re-leasing of
theatres, the latter being particularly important
The National Theatre hosted the Trust’s
Conference 08, Building Sustainable Theatres
© Maëliss Preux
as we see more changes in theatre ownership
and asset transfers taking place in the public
sector. Worst case scenario, theatres could
face the risk of financial penalties and an
uncertain future. The Energy Act 2011
provides powers to ensure that from April
2018 it will be unlawful to rent out business
premises that do not reach a minimum energy
efficiency standard. Initially the intention is
for this to be set at EPC rating ‘E’. For most
buildings this will be achievable but for some
this will be a real challenge. The Theatres
Trust has partnered with Julie’s Bicycle to
produce ‘Energising Culture’, a guide to the
strategic opportunities and issues around
energy demand, energy supply and related
implications to help theatres make informed
decisions about long-term energy strategies
for their buildings. I’m delighted that we will be
launching the guide at this year’s conference.
The question we want to address on
12 June is what does sustainable
development mean today for theatres? How
do we deliver sustainable theatres in this new
economic age? In these times of austerity.
We must certainly continue to improve the
environmental conditioning and fabric of our
buildings. But the sustainability focus I believe
is shifting onto how theatres – in their design,
maintenance and use of technology move
to adopting ‘closed-loop business models’,
stimulating artistic production, putting on great
shows, generating income, engaging local
audiences, delivering social benefit, harnessing
renewable energy sources, maximising
value from resources and moving towards
‘zero-waste’ models by reusing, recycling
or compositing all materials. And given that
most theatres work as independent small
businesses, looking to how they work in
partnership to achieve those goals.
The triple bottom line has arrived. As the
Wales Millennium Centre’s Venue Operations
Director Jonathon Poyner says “There is no
bad news in sustainability, by definition if you
balance the social and environmental impacts
of what you do with the economic viability of
your plan you have a sustainable business.
It’s common sense!!”
So this year’s conference is looking at
what theatre buildings need to do now to
ensure audiences continue to be entertained,
how they deliver social, cultural and artistic
benefits, how they remain open to economic
opportunities to develop and grow, and make
a positive contribution to protecting the
environment. The civic role of theatres is
once again to the fore and I’m pleased that
Griff Rhys Jones, who spearheaded the
campaign to restore the Hackney Empire
and is the President of Civic Voice will
be our keynote speaker.
One big question, given the diversity of
theatre building types, is how to ensure they
are fit for purpose in this new paradigm. Are
some buildings better placed to be sustainable
– or is the challenge to ensure that no matter
what their type or whether they are publicly
funded or not, sustainable solutions need to
be found for them all. It’s reassuring though to
see Arts Council England, Creative Scotland
and Arts Council Wales planning increased
levels of capital lottery spend and introducing
criteria which prioritise applications that will
‘support organisations to develop resilience by
giving them the right buildings and equipment
to deliver their work, and to become more
sustainable and resilient businesses’. Dame
Elizabeth Forgan, Chair of Arts Council England
will be speaking at the conference about these
new priorities and the lessons learnt from
earlier capital lottery projects as highlighted
in the recently published book ‘Geometry and
Atmosphere’ by Ashgate Publishing.
Local authorities are facing the hardest
challenges but remain vitally important in
securing longer term solutions. Whether they
own and manage theatres or are moving
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 3
“The question we want to
address on 12 June is what
does sustainable development
mean today for theatres?
How do we deliver
sustainable theatres in
this new economic age?”
The newly merged Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company
is to acquire a new home (centre building) as part of the
First Street development in Manchester city centre.
towards being enablers rather than service
providers will be a matter of local choice as a
result of the Localism Act 2011. They, along
with the new Local Enterprise Partnerships
will be in a prime place to secure the future
of community assets, which by definition in
the Act deliver social interests and well-being
including ‘cultural interests’. Manchester
City Council has many ambitious plans for
its theatres and we’ll hear from Fran Toms
on how the Council is taking a lead role in
procuring the new arts venue that will create
the new home for Cornerhouse and the
Library Theatre. We’ll also be hearing the views
of John Holden, who has written recently
cultural well-being, on what theatres bring to
the well-being debate and the implications for
theatre buildings. The role of the commercial
sector, in particular the theatres under the
care of Ambassador Theatre Group, will be
looked at by Rosemary Squire, joint CEO of
ATG. Many regional theatres are owned by
local authorities but operated by commercial
partners and increasingly are being asked
to also become investors.
Theatres considering capital
redevelopment in England will also have to
demonstrate that their plans are complying
with the new National Planning Policy
Framework which came into force on the
27 March 21012. It guides local authorities
to prepare Local Plans and neighbourhoods
to prepare Neighbourhood Plans based on
the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable
development’. The NPPF states that there are
three dimensions to sustainable development
– economic, social, and environmental –
or once again - the triple bottom line.
How will this affect the way theatre
developments are planned and the way
decisions are made? During the consultation
period heritage and cultural bodies made
the case for sufficient policies to be in the
NPPF to recognise the importance of culture
4 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
and heritage. Initially though the NPPF was
silent on culture and the arts. In the final
NPPF culture is formally part of the social
‘dimension’ of sustainable development, it is a
core planning principle and plan makers have
to set out strategic priorities for the provision
of cultural infrastructure which are evidence
based. Decisions on planning applications
should be made in ‘a positive way to foster
the delivery of sustainable development’.
Our setting for this year’s conference is
Stratford Circus, in the shadow of the
Olympic development and Stratford City.
Kerry Michael from the Theatre Royal Stratford
East and Clare Connor from Stratford Circus
will be reflecting on the way they hope this
‘charter’ will enable them to harness potential
legacy opportunities.
New solutions will be needed to achieve
positive improvements in theatre building
design if sustainable operating models are
to be delivered, but we also need to ensure
those improvements enable venues to be first
and foremost attractive places for theatre and
entertainment. We’ve asked Jake Orr from A
Younger Theatre who writes and comments
on the arts and its use of digital technologies,
arts programming, and how audiences can
engage further with venues, to give his
views on what theatre buildings will need to
accommodate the next generation of theatre
makers and audiences.
On the other hand a more controversial
question is can we afford to accommodate
the diversity we currently enjoy in the design,
shape and technology used in our theatre
buildings? Theatres are specialist buildings
but should we be looking at where we can
introduce some standardisation in the design
of small, medium and large venues with
potential savings on construction costs?
School theatre design is currently being
informed by the production of guidance by
Partnerships for Schools around minimum
design standards. Does the wider theatre
design sector need to look at this? Is this
desirable – or sustainable?
I also think one impact of the Localism
Act will be that we will see more theatres
used as local facilities, shaped as spaces
in response to increasing the well-being of
their local users, as well as touring venues or
production centres. In the final session of the
day we will hear the views of Tony Wright who
is leading the campaign to reuse the former
Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester for the
benefit of the local community, Elliot McKelvie,
Chairman of the Arts Guild in Greenock who
will move from their old base to a purpose
built new theatre, The Beacon, later this year,
and Deborah Sawyerr the General Manager of
Broadway Barking which, like many theatres,
will be working with significantly reduced
levels of public sector funding in future.
At Conference 08 we looked at the
environmental sustainability of theatres.
This was a new and challenging area.
At Conference 12 we will bring many of the
issues we covered up to date, and look at
the next challenges. If ‘pursuing sustainable
development involves seeking positive
improvements in the quality of the built, natural
and historic environment, as well as in people’s
quality of life’ (as the NPPF puts it) what do
theatres need to do next to have a sustainable
future. This will be the hardest question.
But one I hope will provoke lively debate
and establish where we need to act next.
The Report from Conference 08 can be
downloaded from the Theatres Trust’s website.
Conference 12, Delivering Sustainable
Theatres takes place on 12 June 2012 and
is chaired by award-winning journalist and
broadcaster Samira Ahmed.
Theatre
Buildings
from Vision
to Reality
Alistair Fair and Alan Short
highlight some of the key
themes of their new book
on theatre architecture.
Geometry and Atmosphere: Theatre
Buildings from Vision to Reality, co-written
by Alan Short, Peter Barrett and myself,
and published by Ashgate, comprises
a study of six theatre building projects
delivered during and since the Lottery
boom of the late 1990s. Chapters on
each theatre are bookended by historical
analysis, looking back over the last century
of theatre architecture; the final part of the
book considers the examples together to
draw broader conclusions. The study, funded
by the Arts and Humanities Research
Council, was borne of the observation that
contemporary architectural criticism only
rarely engages with the process by which
buildings are conceived, designed, funded
and delivered. Yet an understanding of
these factors is critical to the understanding
of architecture, adding to formal and
practical critiques. Furthermore, the process
seemed to be proving problematic in the
case of many Arts buildings, leading to
significant interventions from the National
Audit Office and the Audit Commission,
and furious debates in the press. In some
cases, clients complained that their original
vision had been compromised and, on
occasion, lost entirely.
The book is not a Machiavellian attack
on the hardworking professionals charged
with designing and delivering theatres,
but rather aims to empower by setting out
the experience of others who have been
through the process. In this respect, the
book challenges the inherent mystique
of the design and construction industries.
Other professions, such as medicine and
law, routinely publish case histories. There is
a body of evidence to which to turn. Those
working in the theatre rued the lack of such secretiveness of the professions meant that
information. As one early interviewee told us: Professor Alan Short was the architect of
two examples. We simply did not expect to
get ready access to people and archives.
But in reality, participants from all sides were
“I was looking for a book:
fantastically anxious to talk candidly and to
‘How to buy a £3 million
open their files. This degree of openness
is captured not only in the many interview
building’. Couldn’t find it.
quotations that are featured in the book but
Went to the RIBA, went to
also in the accompanying film, which can be
downloaded or streamed at http://sms.cam.
bookshops, libraries. How
ac.uk/media/1095045/.
to be a client… beyond…
The fundamental conclusion of the book
is that the processes by which theatres have
the booklets that the Arts
been delivered in recent years are flawed.
Council had provided. I think Such flaws are inevitable, but their particular
nature has exacerbated the problems and
we could have benefited
led to disappointment. The book proposes
from either some training
a revised delivery model, a more iterative
approach which includes compulsory peeror some… book. I think we
review of schemes, perhaps through The
would have avoided some
Theatres Trust’s new Theatres Advisory
Review process. The aim is a process that,
mistakes early.”
whilst founded on insight and experience,
Those commissioning theatres typically also facilitates creative thinking, something
that is currently penalised by the procurement
are new to the art and science of building,
process. Theatre organisations are passionate,
though they are likely to have considerable
design literate and forward thinking.
experience of creating artistic productions.
In a changing climate, theatres could
They may well never build again; their
form valuable communicative instruments
hard-won experience is thus lost. Rightly
in setting a sustainable agenda. The
or wrongly, architects and consultants may
construction industry ‘fronts out’ innovation
also be new to this building type. For them,
and green issues by wrapping itself in
too, the book is intended as a body of
knowledge on which to draw. And for those box-ticking, audits and bamboozling
terminology. Its agenda is to protect the
who have delivered a number of theatres,
‘business as usual’ model. But such a
the book contributes to the process of
model has not proved capable of
ongoing professional development.
The theatres were chosen to represent consistently delivering successful theatres
that combine ‘geometry and atmosphere’,
a variety of types and scales; the selection
nor will it allow the fundamental paradigm
was reviewed with The Theatres Trust
shift in design in that is required to
and Arts Council England, both of whom
address the question of sustainability.
suggested we add the example of Curve,
Leicester. Though that design has attracted
Alan Short is Professor of Architecture
particular attention from critics, the means
at the University of Cambridge and
by which it was realised, in a form not
Dr Alistair Fair is a Research Associate
far removed from the original sketches,
in the Department of Architecture at the
is fascinating. The unprecedented nature
University of Cambridge.
of the research and the characteristic
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 5
Donald Gordon Theatre
© Chris Colclaugh
Wales
Millennium
Centre
A model of sustainability
Wales Millennium Centre’s Bet Davies explains why
the three pillars of sustainability are key to its success.
Wales Millennium Centre, which opened in
November 2004, has recently welcomed
its 10 millionth visitor. Not only is it Wales’
national centre for the performing arts,
but the Centre is also Wales’ No.1 visitor
attraction and one of the most visited
cultural attractions outside of London.
Built at a cost of £106 million, it receives
an annual subsidy from the Arts Council
of Wales of £3.7 million, less than 20%
of its total annual income.
From the outset the Centre had big
ambitions, with a founding cultural vision
of bringing the best of the world to Wales
and showcasing the best of Wales to the
world. As well as the 1,897 seat Donald
Gordon Theatre, the Centre houses a 250seat studio theatre, rehearsal spaces, a
dance house, a 350-seat recital hall, and the
Glanfa Stage, which presents over 500 free
public performances every year. Uniquely,
the Centre also houses the City Sleepover,
a 150-bed hostel for young people, with its
own performance space. Within the public
areas there are meetings and conference
rooms, visual arts spaces, cafes, restaurants,
shops and a Tourist Information Centre. Most
importantly the Centre is a creative hub for
eight other arts organisations, including Welsh
National Opera, National Dance Company
Wales, Literature Wales, Ty� Cerdd, which
represents amateur and youth music in Wales,
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Hijinx
Theatre and the Touch Trust. The Arts Council
6 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
of Wales is also housed within phase 2 of
the development of the 7.5 acre site. All told
some 1,000 people are employed on the site.
With a strategic partnership with the
Mariinsky Theatre and Cape Town Opera,
and being the preferred choice for producers
of large scale musicals, as they start their
UK tours out of the West End, the Centre
has gained international acclaim as a worldclass venue. Increasingly the Centre is
recognised as an exemplar of sustainable
development, amongst its peers in the arts
sector, as well as influential bodies such
as the Carbon Trust and leading blue chip
companies in the private sector. Trustees
and the Centre’s senior management all
buy-in to the principles of sustainability.
As the Centre’s General Manager Mathew
Milsom says, “It’s not just about sound
environmental and financial management
– it’s also about embracing the principles
of social progress. As a registered charity
Wales Millennium Centre holds at its heart
these principles of sustainable development,
which is why we signed up to the Welsh
Government’s Sustainable Development
Charter last year.” Wales is one of only a
few administrations in the world which has
a statutory duty to sustainable development.
Our social objectives
One of the Centre’s founding strategic
goals is to be a place for people of all ages,
backgrounds and experience to learn about
Three pillars of sustainability
Environmental
Below:
Some of the 200
five-year olds who
participated in the
Siwrnai project.
and participate in the arts. To achieve this
goal the Centre runs an expansive free
and participative programme of activity. The
Centre also has a commitment to its local
neighbourhood, Butetown, the oldest multicultural community in the UK. Community
regeneration is supported through culture,
with a programme of lifelong learning and
participation, and an on-going programme of
community consultation. Supporting emerging
talent, schoolchildren, students and the
unemployed is also a priority for the Centre.
project based on a perceived environmental
challenge within the Centre.
Economic impact
As an economic driver, the Centre makes
a significant contribution, not only in the
immediate city-region but across Wales.
Cardiff Business School’s economic impact
study of the Centre estimates an annual
contribution of some £40 million to the
Welsh economy. For the past two years,
the Centre’s in-house catering team has
been expanding on its local sourcing. Now
80% of all ingredients used by the team are
Students represent 10% of the total
sourced in Wales. With fish from Anglesey,
population of Cardiff. Again the Centre
maintains a working relationship with the local cheese from Ceredigion, potatoes from
Pembrokeshire and meat from the Brecon
universities, promoting sustainability within
Beacons, the Centre’s impact spreads well
a number of their schools. For example, for
into rural Wales, sustaining much needed
the past three years Masters students on
jobs. 60,000 tubs of ice cream are purchased
the Sustainable Building Procurement and
every year – switching to a local supplier
Performance module at the Welsh School of
Architecture have been undertaking a ‘real life’ from a well known UK brand therefore
means sustaining jobs for local people.
Environmental
One of Wales Millennium Centre’s long
term strategies is to improve the facility’s
operating efficiency and effectiveness
through the Estates Exemplar Project to
deliver, as a priority, its environmental strategy.
Early on the Centre’s Venue Operations
team concluded that the best way to
demonstrate excellence would be to gain
accreditation to an international standard.
The preferred option was the international
standard in environmental systems, BS EN
ISO 14001:2004, which was achieved in
September 2009. The Centre was the
first large scale independent arts centre
in the UK to achieve this standard.
Social
Sustainable
Economic
“ISO 14001 is one of the top
standards in the world and
not one that is easy to win.
The BSI team was very
impressed and is very proud
to have its name alongside
Wales Millennium Centre”.
Sir David John, Chairman BSI
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 7
Energy efficiencies
From the outset it was important to target
the low cost no cost solutions to energy
efficiency. A number of priorities were
identified, including:
• obtaining half hourly data for the electricity,
gas and water supplies. The data enabled
the Centre’s Facilities Management team to
identify where wastage might be occurring;
• implementing a building control strategy
which included evaluating usage patterns
and scheduling the building management
system on a weekly basis;
• reducing heating and cooling set points
and time bands;
• setting targets for energy reduction; and
• implementing staff awareness campaigns.
As a result of these initiatives in 2009/10
the Centre achieved an annual saving of circa
15% in energy use. To make further savings
additional investment was required. In view
of the low cost no cost energy efficiency
initiatives already undertaken, management
confidence in these proposals was high.
Three main projects were undertaken:
Chiller decentralisation The centralised
chiller units were being utilised during the
winter months to keep some of the business
critical areas, such as IT and dimmer rooms,
cool. On evaluation of half hourly data it
was recognised that a significant saving
could be made by investing in separate
air conditioning units for these areas.
Sub-metering The half hourly data previously
obtained through the energy supplier
had been very useful in identifying where
improvements in energy efficiency could be
made. Due to the scale of electricity usage,
the diverse nature of the business and the
savings already made it was increasingly
difficult to identify further potential savings
and associated wastage through this data
alone. A sub-metering system in certain high
use areas was therefore specified, with the
potential to add more meters at a later date.
LED lighting On opening in 2004, the
front of house area had over 2,000 50
watt dichroic halogen downlighter lamps,
which the Facilities Management team had
been considering replacing with LED lamps
for some time. Until 2011, however, there
had been no suitable alternative to the
8 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
dichroic lamps that would provide lighting
to the required standard or aesthetic effect,
whilst maintaining the architectural integrity
demanded by the Centre’s design principles.
Lighting colour temperature was also a
key factor to consider. Last year a direct
replacement 7 watt LED lamp was sourced
which would give the standard of lighting
and effect required. Now all 2,000 dichroic
halogens have been replaced by LED lamps
in the front of house areas.
Despite increased energy tariffs, greater
building usage and a colder winter, as a
direct result of these initiatives, in the last
financial year the Centre saved 45% energy
compared to its baseline year of 2006/07.
This represents an annual saving of
£200,000 on energy costs alone.
Waste management
The Centre handles in the region of 300
tonnes of waste each year from our own
activities and that of our resident companies
and retail partners. From the outset recycling
streams were established, which now
include glass, plastics, cans, paper and card,
electronic/electrical equipment, wood, metal,
batteries, toner cartridges and, for the first
time last year, the introduction of food
waste recycling. A number of other initiatives
have been undertaken to reduce the
amount sent to landfill. These include an
education programme aimed at all staff on
site, including resident organisations and
retail partners; removal of office staff desk
bins, implementation of recycling points
and a proactive approach to recycling waste.
A major factor in enabling the Centre
to recycle as much waste as possible was
the appointment of a waste contractor in
2011 that could operate a diversion from
landfill. Some 85% of all waste previously
destined for landfill and now received by
the new contractor is recycled. Taking into
account the 56% segregated on-site the
Centre has achieved a recycling rate of
approximately 90%.
Water saving
From evaluation of half hourly water meter
data it was apparent that the baseline
(overnight) usage was high. An investigation
was undertaken which identified that the 43
male urinals, served by header tanks, were
prone to over-flushing and scaling, causing
overuse of water and maintenance issues.
“As well as the 1,897 seat
Donald Gordon Theatre, the
Centre houses a 250-seat
studio theatre, rehearsal
spaces, a dance house, a
350-seat recital hall, and
the Glanfa Stage, which
presents over 500 free public
performances every year.”
Left:
Alun Davies AM (centre), Deputy Minister for Agriculture,
Food, Fisheries and European Programmes samples some
of the locally sourced produce at the centre.
A combined water management and
urinal dosing system was installed,
designed to reduce water consumption
and maintain a healthy drain system whilst
eliminating malodours and scale build-up
from the flushed areas. The result was a
50% reduction in water usage.
Travel
A travel plan designed to encourage use
of more sustainable forms of transport to
travel to and from work and also on business
has been put in place. This includes a very
successful bicycle user group, which is
recognised as an example of best practice by
SUSTRANS. Visitors, too, are encouraged to
use sustainable forms of transport to travel to
the Centre through information on car sharing, to Charlotte Lythgoe, the Centre’s champion
on sustainability. Other partners and
public transport and cycling options.
stakeholders who have supported the delivery
of its programme of sustainability include the
Promoting sustainability
Department of Food Fisheries and Market
The Centre takes an extremely pro-active
Development, as well as the sustainability
approach to promoting the learning and
team within Welsh Government, Julie’s
experiences achieved through delivering
sustainability. Internally it is promoted through Bicycle, who provide invaluable advice on
environmental efficiencies, British Standards
staff awareness campaigns/activities,
Institute, our ISO 14001 accreditation body,
whilst externally, one-to one visits with
and the National Assembly of Wales, with
other organisations increase awareness as
whom we share best practice. The Centre
well as co-hosting exemplar events held in
was also delighted to support Cynnal Cymru /
partnership with external stakeholders. Staff
Sustain Wales initiative Emergence a project
awareness activities are varied and include
quizzes focusing on environmental messages aimed at engaging the arts community on the
issues surrounding sustainable development
with incentivised prizes, picnics where staff
and hosted the launch event for the report
bringing along fresh local produce, bicycle
last September.
user group events, e.g. bike rides, Dr Bike
Our funding partner, the Arts Council
repair and maintenance sessions, cycle
of Wales, now requires that the Centre
safety training and lunchtime guided walks
demonstrates sound environmental
to the local wetlands area.
management and shares best practice
in terms of sustainability. The initiatives
Sharing best practice
described above ensure that these
As the Centre’s reputation as an exemplar
objectives are fully achieved.
in terms of sustainability has escalated so
too have the requests to share best practice,
Benefits
amongst arts organisations and leading
Undoubtedly there have been significant
manufacturers, public bodies, such as the
benefits arising from the Centre’s approach to
Patent Office, the Royal Mint, the National
sustainability and environmental management,
Assembly for Wales and local authorities.
from financial savings to risk reduction, staff
In March this year the Centre shared its
and customer engagement to enhanced
approach to sustainable development with
the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales. corporate reputation. “The immense
contribution of the Facilities Management
Through the Centre’s partnership with the
team members to the Centre’s overall effort
Carbon Trust and the Wales Quality Centre,
on sustainability is now widely recognised
case study presentations followed by study
and respected amongst their peers as well
tours are a regular occurrence at the Centre.
as by the Senior Management team and
In association with the Carbon Trust
the Board of Trustees. The important costs
the Centre has hosted two seminars,
savings that they make, as a result of the
namely. ‘Take Control of your Buildings’ and
sustainability initiatives undertaken, can be
‘Hospitality Exemplar - Sustainability in the
ploughed back into the Centre’s artistic effort,
events industry’, presenting case studies
which has again increased understanding of
on its practices.
the importance of a quality FM operation to a
Sustainability Week in Wales was
high profile organisation such as this,” added
launched at Wales Millennium Centre last
General Manager Mathew Milsom.
month, which again gave the opportunity
In summing up, the Centre’s Venue
to present a case study presentation to
Operations Director Jonathon Poyner reaffirms
all signatory companies of the Welsh
that “There is no bad news in sustainability.
Government’s Sustainable Development
By definition if you balance the social and
Charter. As an active member of the Cardiff
environmental impacts of what you do with
Carbon Lite working group set up by
the economic viability of your plan you have
Cardiff Council the Centre also supports the
a sustainable business. It’s common sense!!”
development of an action plan to deliver the
aspiration of the Welsh capital of becoming
Bet Davies is Head of Corporate Affairs a carbon lite city.
at Wales Millennium Centre.
Partnership working is one of the keys
to the Centre’s success, according
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 9
Photos:
© Ian Grundy
Community Asset Transfer
and Tameside Hippodrome
The Localism Act 2011 provides local communities with
the opportunity to acquire buildings or amenities and
protect their future use. Tameside Hippodrome is one
of the first theatres to benefit from the legislation,
as Keith Dalby-Oldham explains.
It started, as things often do, with a funeral.
It may culminate in the largest asset transfer
to date under the Localism Act 2011.
The Localism Act forms part of the
Government’s strategy for the Big Society.
Stripped to its bare bones it empowers
local authorities to transfer land and
buildings which are regarded as “community
assets” to local community groups or notfor-profit organisations. It also provides
some protection, within narrowly-defined
parameters, to those assets which are
privately owned but which also form an
important part of the community.
The assets in question may, for
example, be a village hall or a playing field;
perhaps a disused council office which
can now house a playgroup. In our case
we chose Tameside Hippodrome, a Grade
II listed 1,262-seat theatre with a 100ft x
40ft stage, dressing rooms for 70+ and
an orchestra pit which holds 24. Moved
to London the theatre would be the 14th
largest, directly after the Palace Theatre and
ahead of the likes of the Cambridge, the
Queen’s and Her Majesty’s. We like to go
large up North.
In 1974 EMI, the owners of the ABC
Cinema, Ashton-under-Lyne, applied to
the Council for permission to change their
1,274-seat cinema into a bingo hall. The
town’s two major operatic societies were
alarmed because the ABC was more than
a cinema. Behind its 36ft wide 1933 Art
Deco proscenium arch lay the original 1904
stage, complete with eight large dressing
rooms and ancillary space. Twice a year the
screen was pushed upstage and the building
returned to its theatre origins.
A campaign was mounted, led by the
redoubtable Norma Deane, and in 1976
Tameside MBC took a lease on the building.
10 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
The flying system was upgraded, the
Compton organ removed and a full lighting
rig installed. Reduced to its present 1,262
seats the building reopened as Tameside
Theatre. The Council bought the theatre in
1983 and in 1992 installed Apollo Leisure
(succeeded by Clear Channel and finally
by Live Nation UK) as lessees.
Norma died in late 2011. At her funeral
tributes were paid to her hard work and
much was made of the fact that the theatre,
now renamed the Tameside Hippodrome,
had closed in 2008 and was likely to remain
dark for the foreseeable future. It had only
been saved from demolition at the eleventh
hour when English Heritage listed it Grade II.
For four years it has sat in the centre
of Ashton, empty and forlorn, the discussion
of many, from amateur drama lovers to
nightclub owners and cash and carry
merchants.
The possibility of its reopening as a
theatre arose from a bottle of decent red on
half-price at the local supermarket. A rather
tentative suggestion to my other half that I
was thinking about getting the Hippodrome
reopened received the very positive
response “Go for it.”
Clearly such a venture would have
to clear three major hurdles – viability,
feasibility and sustainability. Initial research
on The Theatres Trust’s website confirmed
that the theatre was on its Theatre Buildings
at Risk register but was regarded as “viable”,
an assessment backed up by Live Nation
UK’s own view before the theatre closed.
Calls to Mark Price at The Theatres Trust
and to Darren Ratcliffe at English Heritage
received a very positive, if cautious, response
and the networking started.
One thing was evident at the outset;
no money was likely to be available from
the Council. Co-operation from the Council
was another thing and would prove to be
a significant and determining factor in the
weeks and months ahead.
A survey of the theatre carried out in
2008 had indicated that it needed some £3
million spending on the infrastructure to bring
it up to standard. Whilst no-one was prepared
to lend or grant the Council funding of that
order, a charitable trust was a different
matter. Charities have access to different
fundholders and private and business donors
are more likely to look favourably on giving
to a charity than to the Council.
The theatre is unquestionably a
community asset within the meaning of
the Localism Act 2011. If a charitable trust
or community organisation met the criteria
laid down, the Council could transfer the
theatre, or a leasehold interest, to that
group. The idea was becoming more and
more feasible. But the Localism Act is only
a means to an end. It is of no help unless
the project is viable and sustainable in itself.
The question of viability demanded
more detailed research. The networking
spread and the response was nothing
short of overwhelming. Every organisation,
company, person contacted was immediately
helpful and supportive. We had figures from
Delfont Mackintosh, Really Useful Theatres
and the Ambassador Theatre Group, from
subsidised companies such as the RSC, the
Royal Opera House and the Birmingham
Royal Ballet, from Buxton Opera House,
the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Grand,
Lancaster, and many others. From this we
built up a picture of trends and we crosschecked our projections of income and
expenditure and “what-ifs”.
With feasibility and viability both now
looking good we turned our attention to
the all-important question of sustainability.
When the Hippodrome was facing
closure in 2007-2008 there were the
predictable protests and campaigns.
A petition on Ashton Market collected over
11,000 signatures. Sadly all too many people
made comments such as “I used to bring
my grand-daughter every year to see the
pantomime”, “We’ve been to every operatic
show for 10 years”. As everyone reading this
article will know, public sentiment and a visit
once a year or twice a year is not enough
to keep a theatre running.
By now we knew our “break-even” point
and we knew our target for growth and
sustainability. Time for our first commercial
our capital budget. Substantially the theatre
was still as it had been on the night it
closed. There had been some damage to
the internal fabric where pre-demolition work
had started before the building was listed
but we were already aware of that. Apart
from a comparatively small area caused by
water damage, the 1930s Art Deco ceiling
was where it should be and not, as we had
prepared for, on the auditorium floor. The
roof void and basement areas were both
dry and sound, part of the flooring in
one of the storerooms had collapsed but
the building as a whole had been well
mothballed and well looked after. At the
“Clearly such a venture would press of a button the safety curtain rose
majestically into the flies as if it had only
have to clear three major
been lowered for the interval.
We stood in the number one dressing
hurdles – viability, feasibility
room. Apart from the bench and a lick
and sustainability. Initial
of paint this room is virtually as it was
when Charlie Chaplin put his make up
research on The Theatres
on before walking out onto that stage.
Trust’s website confirmed
For a moment you could have heard a
pin drop as realisation of the theatre’s
that the theatre was on its
full potential began to dawn.
Theatre Buildings at Risk
We walked back to the stalls. “Did you
know,” I ventured, “that when you closed
register but was regarded
this theatre you took £10.5 million a year
as “viable””.
out of the local economy?” It was a point
nobody had made before. I explained the
2005 Shellard report into the fiscal impact
but in supporting our visiting companies,
of UK theatres, a study which had included
from the local dance school to the Royal
Tameside Hippodrome. We were beginning
National Theatre. The Summer School
to make progress. Half-jokingly I commented
would be back. We could support at least
“You haven’t heard phase 2 yet!” A brief
two places for new graduates, giving them
outline also received a positive response.
a foothold on the theatre career ladder
We were given ten days to firm up our
before sending them off to make way
proposals, including phase 2, and bring
for their successors.
them back to a meeting.
We devised schemes to encourage
This is where the hard work of the
the lost habit of theatregoing. We wanted
earlier weeks paid off. In a venture such
people to start coming to the theatre,
as ours there is no substitute for thorough
because it was the Hippodrome. A new
research and attention to detail. If you have
“what if” was born. Behind the theatre
drawn up all the figures, prepared all the
is an empty former restaurant. What if
budgets, tested them against others, crosswe could turn that into a café/restaurant,
checked against different combinations of
with a small studio theatre, a gallery
audience/ticket pricing/capacity, allowed for
space, maybe a crèche? This would be
over-runs and unforeseen problems, asked
some five years down the line but it was
everyone you know in the business to look
an exciting possibility.
at them, tweaked, rewritten and recalculated
We were ready to open discussions.
and it still looks a possibility, you are
Our first approaches to Tameside MBC
perhaps 25% of the way to success.
were met with friendly caution. The
Knowing every detail of your plans is
Council had, after all, thoroughly investigated
also essential. I became the local area’s
the possibilities for itself less than five
leading expert on Legionella risk in theatres.
years before.
We knew exactly how much the heating
We were given access to the theatre
system would cost to repair and how much
and immediately began to cross items off
test; we contacted Bill Kenwright Ltd,
the UK’s largest independent touring
producers and put our case. The response
was positive and encouraging but included
a note of caution – many others had been
down this road before us and failed.
The words of local actor Roy
Barraclough became a mantra; “You
tailor your material to your audience”,
and being an independent we could do
just that. We could compile a varied and
balanced programme where the keynote
is “quality”, not just in serving the public
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 11
to replace. We had quotes for carpeting,
seating, ticketing and telephones. The cost
of repairing, refurbishing and reopening
the theatre (without the extension) was
now looking nearer to a more manageable
£500,000 compared to the Council’s
original estimate of £3 million.
This was due in no small measure
to the army of over 850 enthusiastic
volunteers we had built up via our social
networking page on Facebook (FOH
Friends of the Hippodrome). These included
structural engineers, property lawyers,
heating engineers, designers, joiners as
well as painters, cleaners and labourers.
Our project manager is the man who
managed the refurbishment of the
Buxton Opera House.
We emailed Bill Kenwright Ltd and
asked for a letter confirming their earlier
support. What we received surpassed our
wildest dreams. We had “sold” the venue to
them and we now had their wholehearted
backing. Every single one of its planned
productions for the next two years will fit
into Tameside Hippodrome.
Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s recent
announcement on his Foundation’s funding
to The Theatres Trust for its Small Grants
Scheme, which will provide support for
provincial theatres, could not have been
better timed. The money, of course, is
very welcome but the focus his words
brought to bear on theatres such as the
Hippodrome has been a tremendous help.
On the night before the “crunch”
meeting at the beginning of May 2012
The Theatres Trust forwarded three reports
they had unearthed which they thought
might assist. 188 A4 pages had to be
read and assimilated before 8am the
following day, but what they said gave us
a tremendous boost. In 2009, the City of
Birmingham had commissioned a study
into the impact of the arts from Morris
Hargreaves McIntyre. They had used exactly
the same model and reasoning as we had,
but their figures were more up to date.
Suddenly our figure of £10.5 million lost
to the economy was looking closer to
£15 million-plus.
The meeting was friendly but the initial
questions were tough and incisive. In the
past twelve months twenty proposals for the
building had been laid before the Council.
None of them contemplated retaining it
as a theatre or a heritage asset. The more
we were asked the more we explained.
12 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
Community
Asset Transfer:
The Basics
If your community is threatened with
the loss of an important asset building
or area of land, you can do something
about it. The Localism Act 2011
includes a “Community Right to Buy”,
which allows communities to ask the
local authority to consider adding a
building to a list of community assets.
In order to be listed, the building
must have been used for the required
purpose within the last five years.
Once listed, if the owner decides
to sell, and a community group has the
right structure and safeguards, it will be
able to trigger a six-month delay in selling
giving the group time to prepare
a business plan and raise the money
to bid for the asset.
You will need a community
organisation to transfer ownership of
the asset into. This might be a company
limited by guarantee or a Community
Interest Company (CIC).
You will need a business plan and
to think carefully about the skills and
capacity you will need. You will also need
to secure finance and make sure that
your business plan explains how you’ll
cover the running costs of the building
in the future.
The best single source of help
is the Asset Transfer Unit (ATU). The
ATU website, www.atu.org.uk, provides
a support map to help you through the
process, guides and legal documents,
case studies and film clips to show
what can be done.
“we were discussing the
largest transfer of assets
from Council to community
since the Localism Bill
was enacted.”
Feasibility, viability and sustainability were
the key words time and again.
What had started as an attempt to
reopen the Tameside Hippodrome was
now becoming a major development,
forming a strategic anchor within the town
centre with easy links to the bus station,
car parks, shops and the soon-to-becompleted Metrolink tram service from
Manchester and beyond.
But it would only really succeed with
the Council’s co-operation on key points;
“We want Cotton Street East closed to
traffic during major get-ins/get-outs”
There was a nod. “When the Metrolink is
completed the last tram for Manchester
doesn’t leave until at least 45 minutes
after curtain down” “Would 1am be ok?”
“Perfect.” (That would even cover “Doddy”!)
And so it went on. After an hour we were
no longer a group on one side of the table
presenting its ideas to a cautiously sceptical
Council on the other, we had become a
team, a partnership working together to
make it happen. And we were discussing
the largest transfer of assets from
Council to community since the Localism
Bill was enacted.
There is much yet to do and much to
be discussed. Over the next few months
we will be working hard on our five year
plan. But we will be working alongside
the Council, with full access to their
resources, knowledge and experience to
ensure that we not only re-open the theatre
for future generations but that it becomes
the flagship for a new Centre of Excellence
for the Performing Arts within the
Tameside community. Any and all
donations gratefully received!
Keith Dalby-Oldham is a trustee of the
Tameside Heritage and Arts Trust and
retired business consultant who has worked
on previous Olympic bids as well as
on film financing and the business side
of the theatre costume industry.
Photos:
© Donald McCann Photography
The MAC
The MAC,
Belfast
Belfast’s newest arts venue is the jewel in the cultural
crown of the city’s Cathedral Quarter and is Belfastbased architect Hall McKnight’s first major project.
Anne McReynolds offers an overview of the building.
It was always going to be a tough job
achieving the transformation of Belfast’s
much loved, but down at heel, OMAC
(Old Museum Arts Centre) to a much larger
venue in a new location. The OMAC was
established in 1990, located in a Grade I
listed building dating back to 1830, and
quickly became regarded as one of Northern
Ireland’s best arts venues, with a varied and
innovative programme throughout the year.
OMAC has now grown up and
transformed into the MAC (Metropolitan
Arts Centre), an exciting new venue that
continues to offer the diverse programme
of local and international art, theatre, dance
and music, only now on a much larger
scale. The MAC’s new city centre space has
something on offer for all ages and interest
and is a focal point in the increasingly popular
Saint Anne’s Square development in the
Cathedral Quarter area of Belfast.
The MAC ran an international Open
Design Competition with the Royal Institute
of British Architects to select the team
that would design the new arts venue.
Responses were received from all over the
world including Japan, the USA, Australia,
London and Dublin, with designs ranging
from the weird to the wonderful. Following
a rigorous selection procedure, Belfast-based
firm Hackett Hall McKnight were selected
in 2007 to lead an integrated team to
design the MAC.
Hackett Hall McKnight won the
prestigious UK and Ireland ‘Young Architect
of the Year Award’ in 2008 and is headed
up by the successful partnership of
Alastair Hall and Ian McKnight, following
the retirement of Mark Hackett in 2010.
In addition to receiving a number of RIBA
Awards, the designs of the architecture
practice have been recognised with success
in International Design Contests including
Vartov Square in Copenhagen, which is
due for completion later this year.
The building was designed with both
artists and the public in mind and showcases
not only visual art but also creative spaces for
community and education groups. The MAC
includes two theatres, three art galleries,
one rehearsal space, a dance studio, three
education and workshop rooms, Artist-inResidence studio and offices and a café and
bar located in the main atrium of the building.
Construction of the MAC was completed in
February 2012, with finishing touches taking
place right up until its doors opened to the
public in April 2012.
The substantial public spaces in the
foyer of the MAC recall a typical Belfast
urban environment in character of the
Victorian merchant city but in a contemporary
style – the building is constructed using
in-situ concrete, stone and exposed brick and
these materials are controlled and expressed
as finishes on the interior and exterior to
reveal a relaxed and robust environment of
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 13
richness and depth. Considerable attention
to detail is portrayed in the texture of the
walls, bringing the exterior urban environment
inside this ambitious building. The atrium
space has been strategically positioned
to open up unexpected social spaces
illuminated by the natural light flooding
through the large upper windows.
The main entrance to the MAC is
located in the recently completed Saint
Anne’s Square, a pastiche of a classical
European piazza. Visitors to the MAC are
greeted initially by an atrium space where
they can enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea, a
pre-theatre meal or a cocktail in the secluded
and luxurious booths of Canteen at the MAC.
Admission to the MAC and its three visual art
galleries is free and open daily. Immediately
upon entering the building visitors can
explore the visual art on display in the
Sunken Gallery located on the ground floor.
Heading up the primary staircase,
bounded by steel railings, the visitor ascends
through and around the lofty space of the
foyer. With angular balconies, railings and
staircases alongside the never-ending brick
and concrete walls, the scale of the building
becomes apparent. A permanent artwork,
‘The Permanent Present’, is presented in the
main foyer space and juxtaposed beautifully
with the strong urban interior. It is a graceful
spectrum of light, made up of hundreds of
lines of colour created by ultrafine copper
wires that travel through the expansive space.
‘The Permanent Present’ is a major sculptural
work by Irish artist Mark Garry, commissioned
by The Thomas Devlin Fund and the MAC.
It intricate artwork reflects on the Fund’s
commitment to highlighting the futility of
violence as well as the hopes and aspirations
of our young people.
Elsewhere in the building, The Tall
14 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
Gallery on level three provides enclosed
spaces in a climate-controlled gallery,
allowing for the presentation of precious
works that require specific temperatures,
humidity and lighting. The works of L.S. Lowry
were shown for the first time in Ireland as
part of the MAC’s opening programme. The
Upper Gallery, located on the fourth floor of
the seven-storey building, provides a striking
space where large-scale exhibitions can be
presented in a fitting space. The generous
space housed Robert Therrien’s colossal
sculptures ‘No Title (Table and Four Chairs)’
which was presented as part of the Artist
Rooms initiative in partnership with Tate and
National Galleries of Scotland. The Upper
Gallery is designed with a flexible range of
lighting options including a black-out facility
to allow the installation of a wide range of
contemporary art forms and media.
Downstairs at the MAC is a 350-seat
theatre with space for the best of local and
international dance and drama. The smaller
theatre, Upstairs at the MAC, seats 120
people and retains the intimacy synonymous
with the OMAC and will present new and
emerging as well as established small-scale
theatre, dance and music. Engaging with all
communities is at the forefront of the MAC’s
approach, ensuring that the arts reach far
and wide within Northern Ireland, so three
education and workshops rooms were a
necessity. The MAC encourages visitors
to learn, explore and create and regularly
hosts a range of interactive talks, tours and
workshops, allowing the MAC to become a
central social and creative hub of Belfast.
With the aim of providing an exciting
arts and cultural offering for visitors to enjoy,
it is only right that the building itself offers
exciting benefits for the local environment
and economy. The £18 million project has
been rated with a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating,
setting it as one of Northern Ireland’s top
designed and sustainable buildings and the
first arts centre of its type to achieve this
standard. Energy efficiency was one of the
core elements of the MAC’s design brief.
Specialist technologies such as geothermal
heating, and glazing systems were
incorporated into the building to help gain
this efficiency rating. The design maximises
the use of natural lighting and ventilation to
highlight the distinct spaces within the venue.
The MAC uses an array of deep-bored
geothermal piles to deliver the base heating
load for the building; in the summer these
piles also provide chilled water that is used
in the cooling of the dance and rehearsal
studios and throughout the under floor
pipework. The 15 bore-holes, each in excess
of 100 metres deep, were drilled at the start
of the project as they are located under
the footprint of the building. The heating is
augmented with the use of high-efficiency
gas condensing boilers.
As well as typical strategies involving
the deployment of thermal mass and natural
ventilation, the external envelope is insulated
to a higher standard than the minimum
requirements. The building is very airtight
with a general level of air tightness achieved
at a 40% improvement on the minimum
standards and 80% improvement on the
minimum standards for the climate controlled
environment of the Tall Gallery. The use of
mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning is
minimised; carefully designed and controlled
natural ventilation strategies are deployed
through most of the building, including the
main atrium and the main gallery space.
Careful detailing of the glazing and façade
has achieved this within an elegant handling
of the building elevations.
“Heading up the primary
staircase, bounded by steel
railings, the visitor ascends
through and around the
lofty space of the foyer.
With angular balconies,
railings and staircases
alongside the never-ending
brick and concrete walls,
the scale of the building
becomes apparent.”
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 15
“The Upper Gallery,
located on the fourth floor
of the seven-storey building,
provides a striking space
where large-scale exhibitions
can be presented in
a fitting space.”
Timber and wood-based products
throughout the project are FSC accredited,
and the efficiency derived from the use of
natural light is delivered through the use of
well-considered lighting control systems.
Energy efficiency is enhanced in terms of the
lighting design through the use of LED light
fittings, and other energy efficient lamp types.
The MAC is built on a tight, brown field,
inner city site which offered few opportunities
for engagement with public space. The
building completes the fourth side of St
Anne’s Square, a new public space for the
city, and engages with the pre-existing street
network. The MAC addresses the square
with a tower that registers the building on
the wider city skyline. The solidity and
substance of this tower offers a contrast
to the ‘pattern book’ pastiche of the square,
conferring a sense of age and permanence
to the space. The use of local basalt stone
cladding for this element of the project
asserts the civic significance of this new
cultural venue for the city.
Cultural institutions are significant
contributors to the life of a city; it is important
that they become absorbed into the city in
physical ways that belie their ambition to be
permanent. The MAC has been built with this
reading of ‘cultural sustainability’ – that as
the phenomenon of a city develops the new
institutions should aspire to become part of
the cultural history of the place as the city
changes and develops. The MAC is built to
last, to be permanent, to grow old gracefully.
In light of the current difficult economic
times, the MAC is regarded as part of a plan
for the future. It is in recognition of the fact
that arts organisations can be economic
generators that capital investment in the
MAC was forthcoming from the Department
of Culture Arts and Leisure, Arts Council of
16 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
Northern Ireland, the Department for Social
Development and Belfast City Council as
well as trusts, foundations and the corporate
sector. The MAC sets Northern Ireland in
the international league of arts and culture
and will see a steady flow of local and
international theatre, music, art and dance
come to the region. Only by investing in such
large scale projects can Northern Ireland
secure a steady influx of visitors from near
and far well into the future.
Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole
will be reaping the benefits of the city’s
newest arts venue for years to come.
The benefits to the construction industry
during the two year project were obvious
and the positive impact of expected visitor
numbers, 170,000 annually, are far-reaching,
with local leisure and tourism industries
gaining from the MAC’s many visitors.
Over 23,000 people visited the MAC in
its first three weeks of opening.
As I said when we opened in April,
“The development of the MAC is about giving
year-round access to the best arts that the
world has to offer. We can now provide a
home for international touring exhibitions
and shows that haven’t been able to come
to Belfast before as the city did not have a
suitable venue of this scale. The MAC will
not only inspire our visitors with the fantastic
works on display, but will also cultivate and
support existing and emerging local artists
who want to collaborate with an artistically
driven and commercially focused organisation.
“Of course the MAC would not be
where it is today without the continued and
generous support from our funders and
supporters from business and charitable
sectors – we have them to thank for helping
to deliver our vision of the MAC into a
physical entity that will have a continued
positive impact on our local economy,
environment and culture.”
The MAC is located in the hub of
Cathedral Quarter and really is the jewel in
the crown of Belfast’s arts scene. The venue
sits comfortably alongside the area’s dynamic
mix of activities on offer including the annual
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Festival of
Fools, Blues Festival and Out to Lunch.
It is clear to see that the MAC is happily
settling into its new home and identity and
is beginning to deliver on its potential
as a truly transformative cultural project.
Anne McReynolds is Chief Executive of The
MAC and a Trustee of The Theatres Trust.
Royal Albert Hall
© David Samuel (exterior)
© Chris Christodoulou (interior)
How to
make your
sustainability
strategy pay
Following an Arup-funded
study of a number of
major London venues,
Darren Wright and
Chris Jofeh offer a step
by step guide to building
sustainability.
Arts Council England (ACE) announced
in February 2012 that environmental
sustainability was to become a key aspect
of the organisation’s 10 year vision. As a
result, every arts organisation and museum
that receives funding from ACE will need to
measure and improve its waste and energy
usage between 2012 and 2015.
ACE itself has taken action on its own
2
9,830m estate over the last two years
to improve its environmental and financial
performance, achieving a 31% reduction
in electricity, gas and water bills since
2009 – equivalent to a 40% reduction in
CO2 emissions. ACE has recognised that
addressing the technical performance of
its estate and organisational behaviour are
essential to achieving a low carbon future
in the arts.
But tackling the issue of how to be
‘environmentally sustainable’ can seem
daunting for many organisations. In 2008,
Arup contributed to the ‘Green Theatre’ report
for the Greater London Authority along with
many others. The report offered guidance and
examples of practical and effective measures
that can reduce energy and make London’s
theatres greener.
Recognising the significant impacts
that can be made, Arup has recently funded
energy studies for the Royal Opera House,
Royal Albert Hall and Shepherds Bush Empire
in London. In Australia, Arup has also just
completed a study for Arts Victoria entitled
‘Greening the Arts Portfolio’, which provides
a high-level plan and strategic basis for the
delivery of energy and water improvements
across the portfolio, balancing the use of
energy performance contracting with more
traditional delivery methods.
In order to understand where you
are starting from, the first important step
to achieving improved environmental
sustainability comes from evaluating
current energy consumption and comparing
this to published benchmarks. However,
because each building is unique in its design,
construction and patterns of use, it is better
to develop building specific benchmarks for
total energy and end use loads, where the
totals for each type of fuel are broken down
into their key component parts. For example,
looking at electricity, this might include
production lighting, general lighting, stage
equipment, small power, fans and pumps,
cooling and catering. For gas it may be space
heating, domestic hot water and catering.
In the long term, all buildings will have to
comply with legislation designed to achieve
an 80% reduction in national CO2 emissions
by 2050, as well as the shorter term goal
of 34% by 2020. In all buildings, the key to
reducing energy, emissions and operating
costs is to establish a clear and effective
energy and emissions management strategy.
Such a strategy addresses unnecessary
consumption that can be readily dealt with by
tighter management of systems, through to
longer term goals that will require investment
in the building’s fabric and systems.
Energy and emissions reduction should
initially follow a course of demand reduction
through the application of energy efficiency
measures, including retro-commissioning (this
is a process that seeks to improve how building
equipment and systems function together:
depending on the age of the building, retrocommissioning can often resolve problems
that occurred during design or construction,
or address problems that have developed
throughout the building’s life) and behavioural
change, before more costly technical fixes
are applied. Building management systems/
controls health checks is another low cost
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 17
measure that will rectify any maladjustment
that may have crept in due to component
failure, calibration or ‘help-desk’ adjustments.
This exercise validates the commissioning of
the existing systems to ensure that there is a
good chance to operate at an optimum level.
These measures are usually the low cost
‘quick wins’ that can swiftly pay for themselves
and are focused on the operational aspects
of the building. Behavioural change can be as
simple as switching off lights and equipment
when not in use.
Following the quick wins, consideration
should be given to fine tuning of building
management systems, replacement
of mechanical and electrical plant and
distribution systems, improvements to the
building’s facades, changes to maintenance/
repair cycles and, finally, the application
of low and zero carbon technologies.
Arup’s ‘Museums and Art Galleries Survival
Strategies’ guide describes over 200 upgrade
initiatives, illustrated with practical case
studies, to help institutions choose the best
way forward for their buildings. A selection
of these are summarised below.
refurbishment or plant replacement. These
solutions include low energy lighting, variable
speed drives to fans and pumps and extension
of presence detection control of lighting.
Building fabric Improvements to the level
of building insulation and air-tightness will
be long term and robust energy saving
measures; however these normally require
significant investment. Fabric improvements
should be considered on the cyclic points
of repair and renovation to improve the
thermal characteristics. On the older historic
fabric these measures may be harder to
achieve but nevertheless glazing and roof
repair provide an opportunity to significantly
improve the thermal performance of the
building benefitting energy use and comfort
throughout the year.
Low carbon and zero technologies (LZCT)
These should be considered once the demand
reductions above have been implemented,
when the residual loads should be a lot smaller
as a consequence. LZCT may be limited
due to physical constraints and the capital
investment needed, but this should to be
Motivation and accountability Building users periodically reviewed. Our studies showed that
should be aware of objectives and be given
implementation of lower cost energy efficiency
feedback of how the building is performing;
measures could provide significant savings with
specifically the areas of the building/system
short term payback periods upon investment.
over which they have influence. If they are
Looking at the studies carried out at the Royal
making efforts to save energy then these
Opera House and Royal Albert Hall, significant
should be acknowledged and rewarded. This
results can be quantified as discussed below.
will instill accountability and motivate users to
change their behaviour. Energy use feedback Business Plan Apart from the lowest cost
should be expressed as improvements against ‘quick wins’, it will usually be necessary to
the building specific benchmark.
prepare a business plan for the energysaving measures. The needs of any external
Energy management system A critical
funders such as banks, and the availability
factor to managing buildings is to have a
of incentives and tax credits may influence
measure of how well the systems/buildings
the choice of interventions or the order in
are running. Without this knowledge it is very
which they are carried out.
difficult to manage energy use effectively.
Performing arts buildings typically suffer
Royal Opera House
from a poor provision of sub-metering and
Our studies indicated that the application of
this should be one of the first measures
sub-metering and an energy management
to be put in place. Well managed, these
strategy, seasonable changeover of chillers
systems normally realise a 15% reduction in
and free cooling, energy efficient lighting and
consumption yielding a 2-3 year pay-back.
controls, gas base load reduction and small
An automatic metering/monitoring system
power management would reduce the annual
will provide information to keep track of
energy consumption by:
how the venues are working with automated
monthly reports any against targets.
Electricity: 3,077,800 kWh (25.5%)
Gas:
697,500 kWh (9.3%)
Energy efficient equipment and plant The
CO2:
1,795 Tonnes of CO2 (23%)
application of energy efficient technological
solutions will improve performance. These
Payback period varies for each measure,
should be considered at the point of
ranging from less than one year with submetering and free cooling options to five years
18 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
for energy efficient lighting and controls. The
estimated annual cost saving is £234,000.
Royal Opera House has commenced
implementation of some of these measures. A
longer term strategy included the option to install
a gas CHP (combined heat and power) unit.
This option provided a further estimated annual
cost saving of £78,000 and emissions saving of
287 tonnes of CO2. This option provides a seven
and a half year pay-back period.
Royal Albert Hall
Our studies indicated that re-commissioning
and use of the installed sub-metering
system, BMS health check (review and
implementation of corrective measures) and
energy efficient lighting and controls would
reduce the annual energy consumption by:
Electricity:
Gas:
CO2:
1,009,582 kWh (21%)
745,917 kWh (19%)
683 Tonnes of CO2 (18%)
Again, the payback period varies. Retrocommissioning, sub-metering and free cooling
options provide a payback of just over one
year. In this case, energy efficient lighting and
controls provide a payback of seven and a
half years. The estimated annual cost saving
is £91,000.
Similar to the Royal Opera House, the
longer term strategy included the option to
install a gas CHP unit, along with ground
water cooling, providing a further estimated
annual cost saving of £44,000 and emissions
saving of 447 tonnes of CO2. These options
provide thirteen and eight year payback
periods respectively.
The examples show that the solutions for
each building are similar and follow the
principles of the ‘Green Theatre’ report, but
they are not generic. The attributes of each
building must be assessed in order to fully
understand opportunities, constraints and
usage. Over the last four years we have seen
theatres take the initiative to understand their
own unique circumstances and introduce
measures. The hope is that we will see
many more now come forward. Only then
is it possible to plan an implementation and
investment strategy to reduce the level of
energy usage and waste within that building
and to ensure that those investments
remain sustainable.
Darren Wright is Director, Building
Performance and Systems at Arup.
Chris Jofeh is Director and Global
Buildings Retrofit Leader at Arup.
Having taken its
participating venues
through the Display Energy
Certificate process, the
Trust has compiled some
useful bench-marking data,
as Tim Atkinson explains.
Assessing
DEC data
A
B
C
on twelve-monthly historical energy use.
This usage then has some adjustments made
using Met Office data to account for any
regional weather variations, and is expressed
as an ‘operational rating’, calculated from
the amount of energy used in kilowatt hours
per m2 of floor area (a kilowatt hour is the
amount of energy expended running 1,000
watts continuously for an hour, such as a
parcan, or one bar of an electric fire).
DECs are legally required to be displayed
(at A3 size) in public buildings with a floor
Regular readers and those who have followed
area over 1,000m2. The definition of ‘public
the Trust’s Ecovenue project will be well
building’ is open to some interpretation, but it
aware that an integral part of the initiative is
is generally understood to mean all buildings
to prepare free Display Energy Certificates
occupied either by a public authority or an
(DECs) for participating venues. But as well
institution providing a public service to a
as hand-holding venues through the process,
large number of people. For theatres and
we have also been examining the results of
performing arts spaces, this generally means
the DECs and the usefulness of the captured
council-owned or leased venues. That said,
data in more detail.
any building can volunteer to have a DEC,
To recap briefly, DECs were introduced
although those not mandatorily required
in late 2008 as part of the UK’s interpretation
to have one need not log it on the central
of the European Performance of Buildings
database or display the certificate.
Directive (EPBD) and are designed to
The Theatres Trust was aware from
promote the improvement of the energy
the outset that the benchmark data used
performance of buildings. They are based
to ‘score’ buildings in the ‘Entertainment
upon actual electrical and heating energy
Halls’ category – which performing arts
usage of buildings and provide ratings
venues of all types fall into – may well be
A to G, with A being the most efficient
inaccurate. This was recognised by the
and G the least. Energy usage data is based
Chartered Institution of Building Services
Engineers’ Energy Performance Group,
which governs the benchmarking, and can be
attributed to the disparate nature of theatre
ownership in the UK. As a result there were
no centralised records of energy use such
as one might find for large companies or
local authorities. To help investigate these
potential inaccuracies, and to provide a
D
E
F
G
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 19
Relative energy performance of theatre buildings by floor area,
seating capacity, CO2e emissions and DEC score
(Top 2009, bottom 2010)
20 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
Current CIBSE
benchmarks2
The Theatres Trust
(DEC Pool data,
2009 & 2010 medians
averaged to nearest 10,
sample = 101)
Julie’s Bicycle
(proposed benchmarks1,
sample = 118)
For the Theatres DEC Pool, we have
looked at the figures in terms of DECs
actually lodged, both from Freedom of
Heating (kWh/m2/yr)420
150
140
Information data, and DEC information
supplied to our DEC Pool. We have
their own information which bubble they
further context beyond simple energy use,
concentrated on theatres and arts centres.
the Ecovenue project established a UK-wide are, and the Trust is happy to provide
Our figures broadly agree that the original
Display Energy Certificate Pool (DEC Pool) to clarification to them on request), but what we
benchmarks were way too high, although
gather theatres’ results and interpret them in see clearly from the chart is that just because
they differ slightly from Julie’s Bicycle’s in
a venue is big, it doesn’t mean that it is in
a relevant fashion.
proportion. Our research shows that we are
inherently inefficient, while the reverse is
Unfortunately, although DECs are
looking at median energy consumption of
also true. This is an extremely important
documents of public record, there is no
the theatres in the pool to be in the region
lesson to take away from these results.
searchable database available, unless you
of 150kWh/m2 for gas, and 90kWh/m2
What we also learn is the apparent
already happen to know the certificate
for electricity. The differences between our
inaccuracy of the benchmarks. The current
number of the DEC you are looking for.
results and Julie’s Bicycle’s can be attributed
benchmarks stand at 420kWh/m2 for heating
This means that for us to analyse DECs
to the fact that they looked at the entire
in any depth, the only ways of obtaining
use, and 150kWh/m2 for electricity – these
Entertainment Halls category, rather than
the data is to use Freedom of Information
were the ones set by the CIBSE Energy
just theatres and arts centres, as we have.
data, or to appeal for the information
Performance Group at the outset of the
Our information is based on electrical
directly from theatres.
and heating energy consumption medians
Combining these two approaches,
averaged across 2009 and 2010. The
DECs are legally required
we have been able to create a snapshot
reason for taking this two-year approach
of DECs for performing arts venues in
to be displayed in public
is that by 2010, it seems that fewer
the UK, and make some observations
venues had actually obtained a DEC than
buildings
with
a
floor
about the accuracy of the benchmarks.
in 2009, giving us a small sample base.
2
We are not keen to create a league table,
area over 1,000m . The
Whether this is because buildings have
as these can be counterproductive, and
slightly ‘lost interest’ in the scheme, or
definition
of
‘public
building’
lead to unwillingness to volunteer the
perhaps some that were not mandatorily
information we need. Instead, we have
is generally understood to
required to obtain a DEC did so the once,
created a pictorial guide that allows the
and having satisfied their curiosity are waiting
mean
all
buildings
occupied
venues’ performance to be put into
a period of time before obtaining further
different perspectives.
either by a public authority
certification. The combination approach
The size of the bubbles you see on
also helps iron out differences caused
or
an
institution
providing
the accompanying charts represent the
by annual weather patterns.
carbon equivalent (CO2e) footprint from
a public service to a large
Other elements do affect correction
energy use of each venue (100 tonnes is
factors applied to energy use within a DEC
number
of
people.
provided for scale, and therefore the bigger
– such as hours of building occupancy –
the bubble the greater the CO2e emissions);
and through the Theatres Trust DEC
while its relative position on the X-Y axis
Display Energy Certificate system. After
Pool/Julie’s Bicycle Green Venue database,
indicates both floor area and total seating
weather and occupancy hours adjustment,
we hope to fill in a number of gaps.
capacity. The colour of the bubble indicates
those above average score A-D, those
It is the Trust’s intention to update and
its A-G rating – dark red for least inefficient
below score E-G. We have been looking at
make public the DEC Pool information on
and dark green for most efficient.
the accuracy of these benchmarks in two
an annual basis, so that changes can be
Why have we chosen the seating
ways. Firstly, energy usage data from the
seen as theatre buildings improve their
capacity and floor area as being so
Ecovenue participating theatres has been
performance, and the Trust can continually
important? There is obviously a huge variety
entered into the online energy measurement
monitor the changes in average performance
of performing arts venues in the UK, and the tool sMeasure, which allows the venues to
to ensure theatres are reacting accordingly.
standard metric for a DEC (amount of energy monitor their weather adjusted energy use.
Venues wishing to join The Theatres
Julie’s Bicycle, with whom we have been
used in kilowatt hours per metre squared
Trust’s DEC Pool/Julie’s Bicycle Green
of floor space for both electricity and heating co-operating, has been using this information
Venue Database can do so by emailing
to look at the benchmarks in terms of this
per year) is not always helpful. For example,
[email protected].
‘live’ data. Having recently published their
for a ‘theatre only’ space, a comparison
It is not necessary to have a DEC to do so.
can be made with other venues of a similar
findings1, from both the Ecovenue data and
seating capacity. For an arts centre, similar
venues in their ‘Industry Green’ certification
1
Benchmarking energy use in performing arts venues,
floor spaces are more relevant. This chart
programme, Julie’s Bicycle have found
Julie’s Bicycle, CIBSE (proceedings of the 2012
Technical Symposium), April 2012
allows both to be seen simultaneously.
that a more accurate figure would be
We have anonymised the results
140kWh/m2/yr for heating, and
2
TM46 Energy Benchmarks, CIBSE, 2008
(venues should be able to work out from
110kWh/m2/yr for electricity.
Electrical (kWh/m2/yr)180
90
110
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 21
Bishop Auckland Hippodrome
© Ian Grundy
Bradford Odeon
visualisation
Theatres
Round-up
News on
theatres and
theatre projects
from around
the country
Thanet Council takes back
Margate Theatre Royal
Following a £50,000 cut in its
public funding, the board of trustees
at Margate’s Theatre Royal took
the decision to close its current
operations in April. Thanet Council
has transferred the management of
the theatre to Thanet Leisureforce
(managers of the Winter Gardens)
who will undertake a business
review and deliver its programme
of events for 2012/13. Dr Mark
Deller, chairman of the Theatre
Royal Trust said that the trustees
are passing the operation of the
Theatre Royal Margate over to
the council and then to Thanet
Leisureforce in good faith. They
believe the Council and its partners
are the safest place for this
community asset to reside in
the current turbulent climate, and
trust that the Council and partners
will continue the development
of the theatre in the best interests
of the local community and
national heritage.
Administrators step in at
Croydon Warehouse
Administrators have stepped in
at the Warehouse Theatre as the
board of directors failed to secure
a £250,000 rescue package.
Insolvency practioners, Frost Group,
were called in by the Dingwall
Road venue’s board of directors
after the theatre racked up debts
believed to be about £100,000.
Jeremy Frost, from Frost Group,
said the lights would go down on
the theatre, but that campaigners
should still be fundraising, any
additional funds give them room to
22 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
manoeuvre. They have also been
approached by parties interested in
buying the theatre or its assets. An
appeal website page has been set
up by the Warehouse Theatre to
collect funds to save the venue. To
donate, visit warehousetheatre.co.uk/
campaignpage.html or call
020 8681 1257.
Listed status for Bishop
Auckland Hippodrome
English Heritage has added the
former Hippodrome Theatre in
Bishop Auckland to its List of
Buildings of Special Architectural
or Historical Interest. The building
is now statutory listed at Grade II.
Mark Price, the Trust’s Planning
and Heritage Adviser said, “I am
delighted about this decision. For
many years bingo operations have
been the saviour of some of our
finest theatre buildings, no more
so than at Bishop Auckland where
the operators, Bishop Bingo, have
maintained the building to a high
degree and kept its theatrical
character.” The Hippodrome
Theatre, constructed in 1909, was
recommended for designation at
Grade II due to its completeness
of design as a ‘working class’
theatre. It is a rare example of an
Edwardian ‘second tier’ variety
theatre which helped spread
popular culture to the masses, being
equipped to present both stage
variety shows and silent film.
Grade A listing for
Edinburgh Odeon
The former Odeon Cinema on
Clerk Street in Edinburgh has
been upgraded from Category B
to Category A by Historic Scotland.
Activists have welcomed Historic
Scotland’s decision to upgrade the
former Odeon’s listed status, and
say they are delighted. Gordon Barr
of the Scottish Cinemas Project,
who first proposed the cinema’s
upgrading in 2007, agreed that the
change would not significantly affect
planning protection for the building,
but claimed the move was a step
in the right direction. He said: “The
listing doesn’t necessarily mean
that you couldn’t knock it down but
it formally acknowledges interest
in the building, which in particular
is the auditorium and the interior. It
doesn’t mean it can’t be changed or
demolished but from our perspective
it’s a step in the right direction and
might act as a catalyst to drive
things forward.”
English Heritage upgrades
Brighton Theatre Royal listing
Brighton’s Theatre Royal has been
upgraded to Grade II* by English
Heritage. The Theatre Royal, with
fabric dating from 1807, is the
third oldest purpose-built theatre in
England. Despite later additions and
alterations there is substantial 19th
century fabric. It has rare backstage
features, including a late 19th century
safety curtain, hemp ropes, a scene
painting room with a paint frame,
wooden drum and shaft machinery,
and a grave trap. The venue has also
presented plays continuously since
1807 except for one week during
the Second World War.
Kendal’s Brewery launches
40th birthday appeal
The Brewery Arts Centre has
reached a new milestone clocking up
40 years of inspired entertainment
and at the same time launches
its ‘Fit for Forty’ £80,000 building
appeal. Chief executive Richard
Foster said the Malt Room and
theatre would be the focus of the
first round of fundraising and if
the appeal kept going they would
carry on with the facelift throughout
the building.
Bradford Odeon could house
John Peel music collection
Plans for a new music venue and
museum showcasing the rich
musical heritage of northern England
have been unveiled by campaigners
striving to save Bradford’s iconic
Odeon building. The group fighting
to save the building and its historic
twin towers want to use it to house
the John Peel Centre for Creative
Arts, which would serve as a concert
venue, museum and listening
room for the DJ’s extensive record
collection. The centre would be
modelled on the existing John Peel
Centre for Creative Arts near the
late presenter’s home in Suffolk,
with organisers convinced it would
help provide an outlet for artists
across Yorkshire and help boost
the city’s economy.
Southwark Playhouse future
secured at London Bridge
Southwark Playhouse has secured
its place in the London Bridge
station redevelopment due to
be completed in 2018, allaying
fears that the company would be
Theatre Royal, Brighton
© Mark Price
homeless. Network Rail has now
committed to giving the venue a
1,000 square metre space within
the development. This will be on
a long-term lease, for which the
theatre will pay a reasonable rent.
The deal has been signed between
the theatre and Network Rail as part
of a section 106 agreement. The
Playhouse will have to move out
of its current location to make way
for the building works, and will host
its final show on the current site
in January 2013.
Work starts on new theatre
for Middleton
It is hoped the 100-seat venue,
which is being built in a disused
warehouse next to Middleton
Popstars Academy (MPA) on Morton
Street will be ready by Christmas
2012. Builders have already laid a
new floor while work to fit a stage,
toilets and changing rooms will
begin soon. The venue – to be called
Bojangles Community Theatre – will
complement Middleton Arena and
Oldham Coliseum. MPA has been
fundraising for over two years.
Earlier this year they were given
a £50,000 grant from Biffa, the
company which runs Pilsworth
landfill, to complete the project.
Ventnor Winter Garden plans
approved
Isle of Wight Planning Committee
has given its approval for the
proposed development of the
Ventnor Winter Gardens by the
Hamborough Group to extend and
refurbish the building to provide a
37 bedroom hotel. The committee
gave conditional approval for
Ventnor Winter Gardens
© Richard Gray Collection
significant structural repairs and
maintenance to upgrade and improve
existing facilities at the venue. The
Theatres Trust originally objected
to the proposal and asked that the
development proposals include an
assessment by a theatre consultant
of the reuse and viability of the
venue. This was completed and
sent to the Trust in March 2012.
The Trust then supported the
application subject to detailed
back-of-house accommodation,
a technical fit-out and a theatre
use policy being prepared. The
Hamborough Group will now buy
the building from the Isle of Wight
and develop the new hotel by
extending the east and west wings
of the Winter Gardens. There are
hopes that the venue will be back in
operation for the summer 2013.
Cash boost for Derby Theatre
Derby Theatre (the former
Playhouse) believes it can look
forward to a bright future with Arts
Council England (ACE) funding
secured and a major refurbishment
under way. An £80,000 upgrade of
the main auditorium is scheduled
for the summer break in time for
the autumn season. The theatre’s
owners, University of Derby, have
pledged to put in up to £500,000
a year for shows as well as funding
to upgrade the building. They have
agreed a four point plan with ACE
that ‘will shape theatre provision in
the city over the next three years’. It
builds on the concept of a “learning
theatre” in which students from
the university are based in the
building and will work alongside
theatre professionals. The theatre is
hoping that as the model has been
developed after running an open
event and consulting with theatre
stakeholders in Derby that it will
have wide support.
£15 million to restore
Derby Hippodrome
In December, Derby architectural
practice, Lathams, was appointed by
the Hippodrome Restoration Trust
to carry out an appraisal on the
future of the Grade II listed Derby
Hippodrome in Green Lane. Lathams
worked with PHT Consultants on
three main options. These were
to restore it as a theatre in its
existing form; to convert it to a
smaller theatre combined with other
functions; or to change its use to
nightclub or similar entertainment
use. The final report concludes that,
while all the options would work,
most support and funding would be
available for the first one. It states:
“There is evidence to suggest that,
with positive political support, a
restoration project might present a
cost-efficient and viable opportunity
for creating modern theatre provision
for the City of Derby.” Stuart
Hodgkinson, of Lathams, said it
would cost about £15.4 million.
The Heritage Lottery Fund and
English Heritage, which may help
with refurbishment costs, have
indicated they would be in favour
of full restoration.
Nimax Theatres acquires
Palace Theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber has sold
London’s Palace Theatre in order to
fund refurbishment on his London
Palladium venue. Lloyd Webber,
who has owned the Grade II* listed
Palace since 1983, said: “I am
selling the Palace Theatre because
I love it.” The famous venue has
been acquired by Nimax Theatres
for an undisclosed sum.
Plans for Nimax’s new
West End theatre approved
Planning permission has been
granted for the construction of
a new theatre in London’s West
End. The venue at the north end
of Charing Cross Road will be the
first in the area for 30 years, and
will replace the London Astoria,
which was demolished in 2009
as part of the Crossrail project.
Following completion of the new
Tottenham Court Road station in
2017, developers Derwent London
will start building the above-ground
development which includes the
theatre. The venue is expected to
open in 2020 and will be operated
by Nimax Theatres.
For regularly updated
information on theatres visit the
news section of our website,
www.theatrestrust.org.uk
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 23
Bournemouth Pavillion
© Mark Price
Mercury Theatre, Colchester
© Mark Price
Current Casework
Update on
current theatre
planning cases
Pavilion, Bournemouth
Bournemouth Borough Council
Listed Grade II
Refs: 7-2012-1570-AU
and 7-2012-1570-AV
Decision: Pending
The Trust supported applications to
provide a new entrance, emergency
exit bridge and access to the east
promenior from a new public terrace
and the Bournemouth Pavilion as
these would improve access to the
theatre. The Trust was particularly
pleased to see the inclusion of a
large new stage lift, positioned to
provide direct access to the back of
the stage, with adjacent piano and
lighting storage areas. However, the
Trust remained concerned about the
Pavilion Theatre get-in, pantechnicon
turning arrangements and the
relationship with the approved
Pavilion Gardens project. The Trust
reminded the Council that it wished
to be involved at the earliest possible
stage, pre-construction, to ensure
that the most practical solution is
achieved for the theatre.
New Theatre, Cardiff
Cardiff City Council
Listed Grade II
Refs: 11/02169/DCI
and 11/02170/DCI
Decision: Conditional approval
The Trust supported applications
for improvements to sightlines from
the upper circle seating and access
arrangements at the New Theatre in
Cardiff. A new lift would be installed
with minimal disturbance to the
building’s internal historic fabric.
Its location allowed for the existing
24 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
public entrance, foyer and bar areas
to remain unaltered and also direct
access to the auditorium from the
car-park area when necessary.
The proposed new seating to the
upper circle offered improved
comfort and sightlines and was a
welcome development for the theatre.
The new seating is in keeping with
the existing interior finishes of the
auditorium and would enhance and
maintain the internal character
of this Grade II listed theatre.
Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Colchester Borough Council
Unlisted
Ref: 120321
Decision: Conditional Approval
The Trust supported a planning
application for a replacement roof
covering and new windows at the
Mercury Theatre in Colchester.
The repairs were entirely necessary
to continue the life and use of the
building. The existing roof covering
had come to the end of its useful life
and needed to be replaced. Similarly,
the anodised aluminium ribbon
window framing and single glazing
to the circulation and bar areas was
in need of replacement due to age
and poor thermal performance.
The proposed works had carefully
been considered within the Design
and Access Statement submitted as
part of the application. Furthermore,
the works had been sympathetically
designed within the context of the
existing building.
Palace Theatre, Huddersfield
Kirklees Metropolitan
Borough Council
Unlisted
Ref: 2011/62/93327/W
Decision: Pending
The Trust supported an application
for a change of use to convert the
former Palace Theatre into student
accommodation. The Council had
previously taken the decision that the
building was surplus to cultural and
community requirements (Planning
application 2008/60/90016/W1). In
the Trust’s opinion, the Palace should
have been included on the local
authority Local List as a local heritage
asset. It was happy to support the
works which would restore the façade
and character, preserving it as a local
landmark within the area. The Trust
suggested conditions to secure the
restoration of the large front window
and repairs to the faience tiles
as well as recording and salvaging.
Acton Town Hall, London
London Borough of Ealing
Refs: P/2011/5230 LBC
and 5230 CAC
Listed Grade II
Decision: Conditional approval
The Trust supported proposals to
convert Acton Town Hall’s assembly
hall and theatre into a library. It was
clear that neither space had been
used for performance for some
time and would need significant
investment to bring it back into
major theatre use. The scheme did
not propose to sub-divide the main
hall space and aimed to retain the
proscenium arch ensuring the hall
and theatre could be returned to
cultural use if desired. The Trust
supported and echoed the concerns
of English Heritage and the
Twentieth Century Society over
the entrance staircase which it
agreed should remain in public use
as an alternative entrance because
of its significant architectural value
and its integral relationship to the
theatre balcony.
Palace Theatre, London
City of Westminster
Listed Grade II*
Ref: 11/11774/LBC
Decision: Conditional Approval
The Trust supported a listed building
application for the retention of a set
of lighting bars within the auditorium
of the Palace Theatre (installed for
the previous production of Priscilla
Queen of the Desert) because it was
entirely necessary for the forthcoming
production of Singin’ in the Rain’.
While the lighting bars to some extent
affected the aesthetic appearance of
the auditorium (unfortunately hiding
some of the historic plasterwork)
given the rapid turnaround of
productions, the Trust was happy
to support the application a second
time as a temporary measure. The
Trust is, however, aware of the
need to rationalise and improve the
lighting and technical installations at
the Palace and suggested that the
permission was conditioned for the
length of the production after which
a more aesthetic and permanent
scheme should be considered.
Acton Town Hall Theatre
© Mark Price
Left: Huddersfield Palace
© Ian Grundy
Below: Palace Theatre, London
Photo: Derek Kendall, National
Monuments Record
© English Heritage
Palace Theatre, London
City of Westminster
Listed Grade II*
Ref: 12/01795/LBC
Decision: Approved
The Trust supported a listed building
application for the refurbishment of
the upper circle bar at the Palace.
It would improve the overall
appearance of the interval area
and increase the effectiveness of
the bar. The current upper circle
bar was installed in 1991 and was
showing signs of deterioration. The
proposal wished to address the
storage capacity and the work space
by installing new deeper back bar
units and by moving the bar counter
forward. The proposed works would
not detract from or adversely harm
the special architectural significance
or historic value of this heritage
asset and it urged Westminster
to approve the application.
Precinct Theatre, London
London Borough of Islington
Unlisted
Ref: P112904
Decision: Pending
The Trust objected to a planning
application for the variation of
condition 19 (temporary sales unit)
and condition 21 (A1/D1 use
proportional split) for a replacement
housing/community facilities/retail
development because it did not secure
replacement provision for the Precinct
Theatre. Two of the proposed D1
(non residential) units were intended
for the relocation of a chiropractor
and a dental practice and although
there was room allocated within the
proposed community centre plan to
house the Precinct, the drawings
would need to be significantly revised
as the allocated D1 space was too
small. The Trust reminded the Council
that further consideration should be
given for an appropriate replacement
for the Precinct to meet the need
for local cultural provision within the
local community. The Trust requested
that the plans submitted with the
application should be revised, showing
proper provision for the Precinct
Theatre, otherwise it urged Islington
to refuse the application.
St James Theatre, London
City of Westminster
Unlisted
Ref: 11/09470/ADV
Decision: Application withdrawn
The Trust supported a planning
application for an internally illuminated
stainless steel fascia sign and
internally illuminated show signs
at the St James Theatre, the new
venue on the site of the former
Westminster Theatre. The Trust
considered that the design of the
lettering had been carefully considered
and was of an appropriate size and
scale for the building. Therefore the
proposed works would not harm
the appearance of the new theatre
or the surrounding area. It also felt
that the proposal provided a good
opportunity to strengthen the visibility
of the building. The Trust therefore
urged Westminster to grant planning
permission but requested that it
wish to condition a sample of the
stone lettering.
Waterloo Station Arches, London
London Borough of Lambeth
Unlisted
Ref: 11/04512/FULL
Decision: Conditional Approval
The Trust supported a planning
application to extend the temporary
use of the Waterloo train station
arches by the Old Vic as a performing
arts venue to 2014. As a matter
of policy, the Trust supports the
innovative use of unconventional
spaces that enable the presentation
of new theatre work and which
promote access and appreciation of
the performing arts. The current use
of the arches as the Old Vic Tunnels
since 2010 has included a number of
arts, cinema and theatrical activities
that have benefited from the unique
quality of the brick vaulted spaces,
creating atmospheric and memorable
events. It was therefore pleased to
support the continued use of the
arches and urged Lambeth to
grant planning permission.
Kings Theatre, Southsea
Portsmouth City Council
Listed Grade II*
Ref: 11/01332/LBC
Decision: Conditional Approval
The Trust supported a listed building
application for the construction of
a door opening and steel staircase
at the Kings Theatre in Southsea. It
would significantly improve access
to a stage store where scenery
and equipment are kept and which
currently can only be accessed by a
vertical ladder. It was clear that the
current access and configuration was
not satisfactory. The creation of a new
staircase and door had been designed
to be of a consistent appearance and
will not detract from or adversely harm
the special architectural significance
or historic value of this heritage asset.
The Trust therefore urged the Council
to grant Listed Building Consent.
Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth
Weymouth & Portland
Borough Council
Ref: 12/00132/FUL
Unlisted
Decision: Approved
The Trust supported a planning
application for a temporary platform
and ICCI360 Arena venue in the
front car park of Weymouth Pavilion
Theatre. The immersive ICCI360
Arena would form a central element
in the Maritime Mix - London 2012
Cultural Olympiad by the Sea
programme. It complemented the
existing facilities at the Pavilion
and would enliven the area. The
ICCI (Innovation for the Creative
& Cultural Industries), Faculty of
Arts, University of Plymouth had
developed the ICCI360 Arena as a
multimedia platform that was based
around a 21 metre diameter dome
structure that houses a 20 metre
diameter (83 metres long and 6 metre
high) multimedia screen and HD
projectors. The domed Arena was to
be constructed of a geodesic steel
structure covered in a heavyweight
white plasticised fabric. It had also
been designed and sited to be in
keeping with the local environment
and given the reversible and temporary
nature of the structure, the Trust
urged the local authority to approve
the application.
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 25
Reading Matter
Reviews of recent
publications on
theatres
Black Country
Theatres
Ned Williams
£25.00 Uralia Press
Hardback 208pp
ISBN: 1 898528101
During the nineteenth century, the
Black Country developed a large
number of live entertainment outlets
many of which were in the form
of small halls offering an eclectic
range of entertainments. This book
covers the Metropolitan Boroughs
of Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton
and Walsall, in which there are
between twenty and thirty different
towns where theatres of various
descriptions once existed. The major
theatres opened with programmes of
high theatrical art but often changed
to more profitable variety. Many
travelling and portable theatres are
mentioned but difficult to research
as they had scant press cover. The
names of Bennett and Patch feature
regularly along with the Holloways,
Latimers, Wildings and Pat Collins.
The Bennett family was well known
in the area and had connections
with Burton-on-Trent, Coventry
and London whilst the name Patch
is usually associated with the
Stourbridge Alhambra.
Several Black Country theatres
survived beyond the Second World
War, some reverting from cinema
use, but these gradually closed due
to the pressure from television and
lack of attractive products until only
one, Phipp’s Wolverhampton Grand,
survives. Many managers and owners
spent their lives in the area and Ben
26 SUMMER 2012 Theatres Magazine
Kennedy’s name is the most prolific
as he had fingers in lots of theatrical
pies. His two sons, Bob and Maurice,
are more familiar as they, with the
trustees of their late father, ran the
Dudley Hippodrome from Ben’s
death until the late 1950s when a
number of lessees tried their luck
before Gala Bingo moved in. There
are fascinating photographs by
Bob Hosier showing backstage life
at the Hippodrome in the ‘50s.
Potted biographies of two locally
born entertainers, Clarkson Rose
and Billy Dainty, are given.
It is incredible that Wednesbury
Council did not accept H. J. Barlow’s
gift of the Hippodrome for a civic
theatre in the early ‘60s. It is equally
unbelievable that Dudley Council
recently purchased the famous
Hippodrome in order to demolish it
and yet they wish the town to be a
cultural area. The Bearwood Windsor
remains standing but is unavailable
for theatrical entertainment. The loss
of many other buildings, which might
have been rescued, means that local
cultural identity has disappeared;
a point emphasised in the book.
Such a detailed and
comprehensive volume, which has
an updated twin, ‘Black Country
Cinemas’, runs to just over two
hundred pages. It is very well
illustrated and, apart from odd
spelling errors, grips the reader
from start to finish. An index would
have been helpful.
The author has embarked on
many years of research to achieve
this remarkable work. The reader
is guided through the mazes of
complex family connections and the
inter-relationships between buildings
many of which yo-yoed between
theatre, cine-variety and cinema.
The story of the Black Country
theatre scene must be a microcosm
of what happened elsewhere except
that few other theatre historians
have had the drive, tenacity and
extensive local knowledge to
present a similar tome.
The book provides a most
enjoyable and entertaining read
and will be appreciated by theatre
historians and those who recall
the various theatres or wish
to know more about the area.
Ted Bottle
(Editor’s note: We will be featuring
a review of ‘Black Country Cinemas’
in the autumn issue of Theatres
Magazine)
Liverpool
Playhouse
– a theatre
and its city
Ros Merkin (Editor)
£25.00 Liverpool University Press
Hardback 224pp
ISBN: 978 1846317477
The Liverpool Playhouse has a
special place in the hearts and minds
of all regular theatregoers as it has
been the incubator of much new
writing and of many of the characters
who have dominated the British
theatre scene for a century or more.
This new book traces the ups and
downs of the Playhouse through
quotations from and interviews
with many of the people who made
the theatre what it is. Almost
inevitably this leads to a degree of
repetition with each generation of
artistic director discovering many
of the same problems as earlier
predecessors. However Ros Merkin
has produced an interesting volume
which underpins the reality of the
situation and which is true to the
title “…a theatre and its city.”
Liverpool is certainly a very
special place and somewhere
that has the ability to almost cast
a spell on those who live there –
even for a short period – it has
always been able to “speak” and to
hold strong views. As a result the
quality of the new writing which
has emanated from the Playhouse
has been generally of a very high
quality and with a wide appeal
across the community. Successive
artistic directors have encouraged
this and many of them share the
uncomfortable discovery that the
audience base is not very well
developed and that Liverpudlians
should wake up to the value of the
Playhouse and “use it or lose it.”
Like most theatres the
Playhouse has a problem of
balancing finances. The demise of
the Metropolitan Council and the
various attitudes to funding espoused
by the Arts Council at times are
mentioned as though Liverpool was
the only community to suffer. Indeed
it is the parochialism which stems
from the approach to writing the
book based upon quotations that
leaves many questions unanswered.
For example, very little is read of
Board policy or, for much of the
period, of Board membership;
sometimes there is an indication
that the relationship of Board and
artistic director is less than amenable,
but very little of the positive activity
between the parties over the years.
Similarly the administration of the
theatre appears writ large on a
couple of occasions and is largely
ignored for the rest. What I also find
an omission is the building itself.
The Playhouse is indeed a former
music hall, and as such an important
survivor, similarly it is important
as the oldest existing repertory
theatre, but nowhere is the audience
appreciation of the building, the
warmth that it engenders, the good
sightlines and acoustics, identified
as a plus factor for people to attend.
Sadly there is also no comment
upon the considerable discussion
in the community that the 1968
construction of the glass tower with
a new main entrance created, nor of
the changes that have affected the
working of the stage.
Nevertheless this is a book
which is full of information which
underpins the claim that “Liverpool
Playhouse is a metaphor for
changing times.” Long may it
continue to be one of the beacons
on the British theatre scene.
Michael Sell
South Yorkshire
Cinemas and
Theatres
Peter Tuffrey
£12.99 Amberley Publishing
Paperback 128pp
ISBN: 978 1445605777
Peter Tuffrey begins by explaining
that “I feel sad when I look at old
surviving cinema buildings. They have
become ugly, disfigured structures
in a street or landscape”. The joy for
the reader of this book is that we are
enabled to see them in their finery as
well as in the last stages of existence.
So all is not gloom and the book is
a faithful record of many of the fine
cinemas and theatres which existed
in the small geographic area bounded
by Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham
and Sheffield, citing not only the
buildings found in the centres of
population but many of those in
the smaller communities.
The author includes the major
theatres of the area, some 32
buildings and also makes it clear
that, additionally, many of the earlier
cinemas had provision for stage
shows while the later, larger cinemas
were used for concerts and live
entertainment.
The book is produced in black
and white, which underpins the time
span which is covered, and provides
a fine glimpse into the way in which
communities provided for their
entertainment. Peter Tuffrey wherever
possible identifies the architect and
promoter of the building and the
subsequent short history up until
demolition or current use. The early
photographs contrast interestingly
with those taken in 2011 which
are used to illustrate the current
use and condition of the building.
Among the original images are some
which have had little exposure until
now, including the 1774 Doncaster
Theatre Royal which is shown in its
last days and during demolition in
1900. This volume is also extremely
useful in identifying the wealth
of material held by local record
offices, particularly the Rotherham
Archives and Local Studies Services,
and the regional press, well
represented by material from
the Sheffield Newspapers.
The commentary is lucid and
informative and the images are
crisp and meaningful. However,
I encountered some problems in
continuity, particularly where a building
would be illustrated on more than
one page and where it shared a page
with another, separate building, for
example the Doncaster Gaumont/
Parkway, is found on pp 12,13,14
and 15, sharing p14 with the Globe
Picture House and p 15 with the
Oddfellows Hall/Cosy Cinema; and
again Goldthorpe Hippodrome which
appears on p 21 and then on p 25. It
must be said, however, that the value
of the images far outweighs these
niggles as they provide us with a
glimpse of yesterday, in architecture,
in transport and in the people who
lived and were entertained in this
then centre of industry. I look forward
to the next volume.
Michael Sell
All books reviewed in Theatres
Magazine are available in the
Trust’s Reference Library
The Trust’s
specialist
theatre buildings
Reference Library
On the 4 April the Trust officially
launched its newly catalogued
1,500 book specialist Reference
Library. The Library is held within
the Trust’s Resource Centre at
22 Charing Cross Road, London.
We have created our own specific
classification system which covers
34 unique categories ranging
from theatre architecture and
design and the history of theatres,
to set design, acoustics and
theatre management. In 2011,
the Association of British Theatre
Technicians Technical Theatre
Book Collection came over to the
Trust and through the dedicated
work of staff and volunteers the
new catalogue integrates the two
collections along with ongoing
donations and acquisitions. The
cataloguing work has been led
by Kate Carmichael, Resources
Officer at The Theatres Trust,
Jane Thornton MBE, archivist
for the Association of British
Theatre Technicians and volunteer
Assistant Librarian Maria Sestini.
The cataloguing of our books
means we can welcome more
theatre researchers and the
collection is far more accessible.
The Theatres Trust’s Reference
Library is open from 10.30am
– 16.30pm Monday to Friday.
Please contact Kate Carmichael,
Resources Officer to discuss
your needs and book a time
to access the Library and the
Trust’s other Collections.
Theatres Magazine SUMMER 2012 27
Photo diary
General & contact
information
Trustees
Rob Dickins CBE (Chairman)
Nick Allott
Dr Phil Clark
Ruth Eastwood
Tim Foster
Oliver Goodwin
Jerry Katzman
Penelope Keith CBE, DL
Dr Pauleen Lane CBE
Anne McReynolds
Judith Mellor OBE
Matthew Rooke
Chris Shepley CBE
Suggs
Ben Twist
Special Adviser
Peter J Wilson
Consultants
John Earl, Jonathan Lane
Staff
Mhora Samuel Director
Tim Atkinson Theatre Building Services Adviser
Fran Birch Records Officer
Kate Carmichael Resources Officer
Paul Connolly
Operations and Development Administrator
Clive Dixon Finance and Monitoring Officer
Rose Freeman Planning Policy Officer
Suzanne McDougall
Marketing and Development Officer
Mark Price Planning and Heritage Adviser
Hulme Hippodrome and Playhouse
Whilst both theatres remain on the Trust’s Theatre Buildings at Risk register,
Tony Wright, a community worker and Director of Operations for community
enterprise group, Youth Village, has embarked on a campaign to reopen the
Hippodrome with the assistance of a team of volunteers. Meanwhile, the
Playhouse is home to an evangelical church group, which is in the process
of repairing the roof and windows.
The Theatres Trust is the National Advisory
Public Body for Theatres. The Trust provides
leadership in the planning and protection of
theatres, safeguarding existing theatres and
improving the planning environment for theatres
across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland and is sponsored by the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport.
The Theatres Trust
22 Charing Cross Road,
London WC2H 0QL
Tel: (020) 7836 8591
Fax: (020) 7836 3302
[email protected]
www.theatrestrust.org.uk
Photos: © Ian Grundy
How you can help us
build a better future
Become a Friend
for
Become a Corporate Supporter
a Resource Centre Benefactor
theatres Become
Sponsor an event
Donate to the Theatres Protection Fund
Visit our website www.theatrestrust.org.uk for further details,
email [email protected] or call us on 020 7836 8591.
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Warm White Channel
colour mimic mode
silent passive cooling
+61 (0)7 3286 2299 • www.lumascape.com.au
+61 (0)3 9587 2555 • [email protected] • www.stateautomation.com
INCAND-Air In Action
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