arts & CuLture


Builth Wells venue to undergo renovation


Wyeside Arts Centre has announced that it has secured funding from a number of sources towards a £190,000 revamp of Market Teatre in Builth Wells, Powys. Te Aggregates Levy Fund for Wales;


Powys County Council; the Foyle Foundation; and the Friends of Wyeside have contributed towards the project. Market Theatre is scheduled to close


between January and March 2012, although Wyeside Arts Centre will remain open. Work will include improved lighting and a new seating arrangement.


Crossrail plans new London theatre


London’s ‘newest West End theatre’ in more than 10 years is to be created as part of plans for the redevelopment of the Tottenham Court Road area unveiled by Crossrail. Tree planning applications


have now been lodged with Westminster City Council, covering four sites on the corner of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road. AHMM are behind designs


for the first two sites, which features a new theatre on the site of the former Astoria site as part of two nine-storey mixed-use buildings and a public realm. Hawkins Brown architects are responsible


AHMM are behind the design of the two sites that will boast the theatre


for plans for the two remaining sites, which is set to comprise housing and retail accommo- dation as part of an “over-site development”. Te proposals have been drawn up in con- junction with Derwent Holdings, which has


Te British Museum won the Art Fund Prize 2011


Art Fund Prize 2012 open to applicants


Te application process for the Art Fund Prize 2012 is now open to museums and galleries across the UK, with a £100,000 prize on offer to the venue with the most innovative project. Venues in the Channel Islands and Isle of


Man are also eligible to enter the Art Fund Prize, which is now in its tenth year and was won by the British Museum in 2011. Entries are also being accepted for the


Clore Award for Museum Learning, to cel- ebrate museums and galleries with high quality education programmes.


Derby arts venue faces council funding cut


Derby’s Quad Arts Centre is to have its council support withdrawn over the next four years, which is set to result in a loss of income of more than £600,000. Quad chief executive Keith Jeffrey called


the decision as “extremely bad news, not only for Quad but also the city” and said it made Derby less appealing to investors. Derby City Council is aiming for the arts


venue to find alternative income streams or become self-sustaining. Te city’s Deda facility is also facing the same withdrawal of support from the local authority.


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entered into an agreement with venue operator Nimax Teatres to manage the new 350-seat property once it is completed. Crossrail land and property director Ian


Lindsay said: “Tese development plans will enhance Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road as a thriving cultural and retail destination.”


Councillors decide site of new Chester theatre


An art deco building that formerly housed Chester’s Odeon Cinema has been selected to be the site for the development of the city’s proposed new theatre by the local authority. More than 70 members of Cheshire West and Chester Council “overwhelmingly” approved


the choice of the new theatre location, which was selected ahead of Little Roodee. It is hoped that the £43m venue will help ful-


fil plans for “two specific cultural quarters” in Chester, one being a spoken word and perfor- mance quarter centred on the town hall.


Portsmouth theatre nets Lottery funding


Portsmouth’s New Theatre Royal has secured £939,000 towards a restoration proj- ect at the Grade II*-listed arts venue from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The grant will help sup-


port a scheme first launched aſter a fire at the property in 1972, with plans including an overhaul of the stage house, orchestra pit and access facili- ties. A new Creative Learning Centre to be used by local groups and organisation also features as part of the plans. John Craven, vice-chan-


Te stage house, orchestra pit and access facilities are to be refurbished


cellor of the University of Portsmouth – working in partnership with the theatre, said: “Te HLF has recognised the importance of restoring the New Teatre Royal as a major historic building.”


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Stuart McLeod, head of the HLF South East,


added: “Tis wonderful historic building can be developed and put to use for the benefit of the local community.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


image: philip woolway


image: eric pouhier


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