![]() |
Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Leisure in Hyndburn has received some funding from the Arts Council to employ a consultant to do a feasibility study on the Civic Theatre to see if there is an opportunity to turn the Civic into a community arts venue.
I have been appointed as the consultant for this project. I have a questionnaire which I would like as many people as possible to fill in - so if anyone is prepared to do so could you pm me and I'll email you a copy of it. PS - if anyone makes any comments on this thread regarding the viability of the conversion can you let me know whether or not I can use your comments in the quotes section of the report. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Sounds like a good idea.
I'll fill a form in.:) |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Unfortunately, no I can't elaborate as that's the whole point behind doing a consultation - to find out what people want and to see if it's possible to do it. If people say they want the arts centre to focus on music or theatre or even circus skills then that's what would have to be put forward. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
worth looking at IMHO.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Although art is a worthy pastime and brings pleasure to many, is this what Oswaldtwistle really wants.
Can the money not be spent on eradicating vandalism, drunk and disorderly behaviour and the drug culture that is growing in the area? Should we not offer something that will stop the boredom in the area? To be honest if I was in my teens and early twenties, living in Ossy, I would hang around and drink just to kill the boredom and hope the day ends soon. The devil finds work for idle hands. What are we doing to stop hands being idle? There is a lot of potential and talent going down the drain as we do not invest in young people. Think carefully what we are building and what is left to go to ruin. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
I wrote a shorter item so that you can understand it, as the previous one went over your head. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Anything to make Ossy more pleasurable for all. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Me, me, me Gayle .. I'll have one Miss. ! E-mail in profile, but think you have anyway.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
The only 'arts centre' that I have any real knowledge about in the Battersea Arts Centre in London.
Even in such a culturally saturated place as London, it manages to provide something that isn't being catred for elsewhere. They have theatre space, visual art exhibition spaces, practice rooms, where music and drama can be taught. It really is a community arts centre, that is much used and appreciated by residents and tourists alike. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Vandalism, bad behaviour etc - provide something for teens to do so they're not idle - turn the theatre into an arts centre. So I'm a little unsure about your angle on this. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Ski |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Thank you to all of those who have got forms already, any other volunteers?
All comments are welcome. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I've sang at the theatre but I haven't been for a long time, a lot of the shows dont seem to be that interesting otherwise i'd go more often. I think they need better advertising to the locals and such.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Can I email you a form so that your views can be documented? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
You can send me one and I`ll try to remember to check my e-mails more than once a fortnight! Oh I also owe you Karma cos you reminded me to update my e-mail address but apparently I`ve already given you to much:rolleyes:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
You can send me one Gayle, new email addy on my profile. ta.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
I mentioned car parking on my questionnaire Gayle, I think it is a big issue if you want to encourage people from further afield to use the Theatre, especially with the recently proposed resident parking around the Theatre. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
thats a good idea neil,wasn't aware of the residential parking scheme.;)
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Hold on there!!!!! -----In 1972 I had the misfortune to live for one year in the gable end house right next to the miniscule Ossy Town Hall car park.
The proposed parking scheme is for RESIDENTS and is 35 years overdue!!!!!! |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
If the land next to the Town Hall (where the old folks home was) hadn't been sold off, it would have been an ideal site for a car park, and would have been an encouragement to attend any shows, functions and make use of arts facilities.
As it is now, lack of car parking facilities just causes irritation and inconvenience to residents. When I lived there it was not unknown to have park several streets away from home when there was something on at the Town Hall. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
if they did change it into a carpark, you would get all the parents from the school kids parking on it during the day to pick em up too, which wouldnt be a bad thing either;)
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
It will only mean that visitor's will have to move further along to other streets .. just shifting it, that's all it will do, not overcoming the problem. Was a shame though Margaret that the Council did not acquire the land next to it. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Whilst I realise parking is a big issue in some respects I do wonder whether it isn't a red herring of sorts.
I mean, if you go to Manchester to the theatre are you ever able to park right next to the theatre itself, or Blackburn for that matter? There is tons of parking available at Ossy Mills which theatre goers can use and walk up (probably about the same distance as from the Arndale car park in Manchester to the Royal Exchange) or the car park behind the shops on Union Rd, very close by - or for a while the car park at Rhyddings School was open for use but no one used it (choosing instead to park in front of residential homes). |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Was gonna' say something like this myself Gayle, was wondering about the school for instance. Don't know why it is different somehow .. just is. Why though ? Do you think perhaps because it is more elderly people attend events locally ? Suppose some sort of Park n Ride scheme would be out of the question. I never noticed that the school was available at one time ... perhaps not directed there very well ? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Well the circular bus stops right outside, couldn't get much closer! |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Anyone who wants to find out more about the findings of the consultation and the future plans can come to the Area Council meeting on Wednesday 12th March, 7pm at Rhyddings School.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Anyone who disagree's with Residents Parking, clearly does not live anywhere near the Town Hall. Its a nightmare! Try coming home in the evening, when there is something on at the Town Hall with various items (ie: shopping & a Harry, plus trying to get his pram out of the car aswell!) and you can't park anywhere near your house. And i'm not being picky here I don't mean we have to park further down the street. I mean we have to park streets away. I live on Milton Street (directly across from the Town Hall) and sometimes we've had to park down the bottom of Mill Hill (nr Spring Terrace) or down Albert Street.
Will this funding include parking Gayle? (menaing will it be considered when allocating funds?) I agree with Gayle about the parking and walking a little way. The current car park could be used just for disabled drivers. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I hope the lady giving the Civic Theatre presentation will make it on time to this meeting, instead of me having to inform her about the bits she missed last time :p
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
While your stood up you might as well do my bit :D |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
I've also been told, more than once, that it's not at the Civic Theatre but at Rhyddings School - which is quite ironic as we'll be discussing the theatre!!! How have I got a reputation for getting meeting details wrong? :D No, I think I'll leave the park bit to you - I don't want to upset anyone. ;) |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Re car parking. You should be including details of car parking with the tickets and telling people where not to park to avoid irritating the theatres neighbours. Not everyone will take notice but a lot do.
To many people expect to be able to park outside of places these days, think they've got a phobia about walking. Jaysay please get a spell checker. download firefox, it underlines misspelled words in red. You are missing letters out, I presume because you're typing fast. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
I think there is a show on or something. Rhyddings school is used when the theatre is unavailable. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
It is a shame we're not at the theatre - it's going to be very hard to point things out if the things that I would be pointing out aren't there!
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Maybe that is all part of your master plan. You can say how bad the place is and we will have to take your word for it. :eek: |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Just noticed the 'for sale' sign on this land today, and subsequently found this:
Oswaldtwistle bus lane 'car park' may be turned into housing (From Lancashire Telegraph) |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
i'll fill one in
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
:rolleyes: |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
They may not have needed planning permission since there was housing there when it was last in use.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Quote:
LCC would only sell land if the buyer were going to stick to certain 'approved' developments too. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
There's no need to fill in the form - that was back in 2008.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Well, I'm now completely confused with this Planning Application :
11/10/0079 Full: Erection of 1.8 m boundary steel fence 15/02/2010 to car park. Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre, Union Road Oswaldtwistle Hyndburn Borough Council Or is this just the little one at the back ? Doesn't seem necessary to me if it is. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
It's the little one at the back. I'm not 100% sure but I think it's temporary as it will be the construction site - i.e. they'll be putting all their equipment and materials plus a portacabin there for the duration of the build.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I started reading this thread unaware that it was over a year old, until I reached my own post!
So, tell us Gayle, do. What happened as a result of the consultation? Is the Arts Council still willing to get its hand in its pocket? How much investment can we look forward to? is it going to be all singing and dancing at Ossy Town Hall or are we in for something more cerebral - Wimmins community drumming workshops maybe? Street 'art' workshops? The suspense is nearly killing me. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Being a 'psychic barber' he could have trimmed your beaver, whilst telling you of forthcoming events. 'What I have is a gift, a gift that must not be abused for self-gain, but must be given freely to those whose need is greatest and who will benefit most from it. Gordon Smith - Psychic Barber Guide to Hyndburn - what's on Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre :D |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I've been away for the weekend so just seen this.
First things first - hiya A-B, you've been missed. Secondly, to answer your question - It's mostly going to be an Arts Centre for young people to get involved with performing, drama, music, film, dance etc. I say, 'mostly' because there will be opportunity for all sorts of things going on there. There will be more emphasis on producing work than performing it - although of course, performing is the end result of producing. It should open in August. First production is in rehearsal already (at Hippings Vale whilst the refurb is going on) and will be a youth production of Romeo and Juliet. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Hi Gayle, it's nice to be back - and thanks for getting back to me on this.
Can you perhaps explain why it is to be an arts centre mostly for young people and what the target age range is? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
The target age range of the Arts Centre is ALL AGES, with emphasis on young people i.e. age 5 to 25. There will be many things for many ages. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
if it did turn into an arts centre what would happen when the funding runs out would they shut the building or is there still going to be christmas pantomines and shows or is it going to be a full change just to save hyndburn council some money,or am i missing the point here:confused:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
There will still be pantos, shows and things going on upstairs.
This is for downstairs. The space downstairs isn't really used at the moment, so by turning it into an arts centre it will give it a use. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
thats good, what about arts and textiles and arrange school visits ,something about the local history maybe even in conjunction with ossy mills.was there not some kind of white work people used to make before the industrial revolution embroidery and industrial polyester just an idea..
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Any ideas are welcome.
Yes, school visits and local history stuff is a good idea. I did a walk around Ossy a while ago with a group from one school and they seemed to enjoy it. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
It is the only building in our constituency where there are theatre provisions .. shame we could not have bought some of the wonderful buildings in the centre, but we have to make do and mend here unfortunately. There is a meeting next Tuesday (16th .. 7 p.m.) at Hipping Vale Community Centre for anyone interested in the arts and feel they could contribute to this project. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Please explain what the 'offers on the table' mean? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
They are looking for a name for this downstairs community arts centre. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Is Accrington Stanley only for people from Accrington? Of course its not. The Theatre is named after the name of the town it is in. Do you think we should rename Ossy Mills so people wont just think its for the people of Oswaldtwistle? Do you really think people are that stupid they think the Theatre is exclusively for Ossy residents only? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Dunno i think "Gobbin Hall" would be a fine name.:D
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
It is a theatre/facility for the whole of Hyndburn and should be marketed as such, otherwise, the community will not be persuaded to put any effort into any projects there. Accrington Stanley does belong to just Accrington basically, as does Ossy Mills to Oswaldtwistle .. private enterprises. The theatre is an HBC run facility !! |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
can't see it meself kate,:confused: been going yon oer 30 years meself, its always been ossy town hall,/ ossy civic, never associated it with just ossy, unless yer saying many of the local population are thick?:D
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
:D |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
It's the only theatre in the borough, and is funded by people from all areas of Hyndburn, so makes perfect sense to me. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
:rolleyes::D |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
what about lancashire civic theatre..:D
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Have you noticed its the Clayton mod at have stirred it again:D:tongueout:tongueout:smile:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I have a problem with all this Quango directed, lottery funded, liberal, social engineering 'ARTS' drivel.
And my problem is that, despite making an awful lot of noise and providing employment for those among us who cannnot create wealth but merely consume it, it leaves behind it very little of any intrinsic worth. It's aims and scope are short term. And, despite the arguments of its proponents to the contrary, delivered at mindnumbing length and with wearying enthusiasm, it does very little to equip anyone in its target audience to do anything of any significance once the funding has run out and the the focus shifts to the next set of government dictated targets. The current jamboree, kicked off with the Liverpool City of Culture extravaganza and, according to the Arts Council England, North West's Mission Statement, the three years from 2008-2011 are about "great art for everyone". And so, as a result of a successful bid, £1.6 million has been allocated to Hyndburn and will now be spent refurbishing the Civic Theatre and also has to ensure the delivery of the governments directive that "all children and young people will have the chance to engage in at least five hours a week of high-quality culture in and out of school". I have no argument with the premise that the vast majority of our children are uncultured brats, I see more than enough evidence of that on a daily basis. But I do not see how the aims of "great art for everyone" and "at least five hours a week of high-quality culture " can be delivered for what amounts to no more than £18.82 per person in the borough, over a three year period. In a report in The Telegraph on 18/09/2008, the plans for the theatre were said to envisage that "the area would be mainly used for drama, dance, music and film but could also be used by youth groups, activity classes such as yoga, children’s karate groups or by school drama classes.The downstairs area would be transformed with a new day and night cafe bar and an opened-up foyer as well as an office for the new theatre staff. The building as a whole would have disabled access throughout, including access back stage." So now we know what constitutes "High Quality Culture" and "Great Art for Everyone" in the borough of Hyndburn: the same as what we had before only this time with a new bar and disabled access. And what happens to the place once the circus has moved on and re-decoration or new equipment are needed? I don't want Gayle to think that I am unappreciative of her efforts, I am not. I wish we had more like her - really, I do. It's just that creativity cannot be commanded. Government Dictat does not create ART nor do committees. Giving a kid access to a video camera might keep him or her occupied for a little while but, it will never produce the next Ingmar Bergman. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
I agree that the title Civic Theatre, Oswaldtwistle is creeping in slowly Neil, however, even our Leader started off a letter in February with:- "Hyndburn Borough Council is currently refurbishing the ground floor of Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre" |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
A-B - we didn't get the £1.6m funding. It is only the ground floor that is being refurbished with HBC capital investment.
It will be run like a business so will in time make profit for HBC - in the same way that other public buildings are supposed to. Whilst I agree that you could give a talentless oik a video camera and you will not create Ingmar Bergman, the opposite also applies that if you give someone with talent a camera there is the outside possibility that you might create the next Danny Boyle. We have a lot of talent in the area and to nurture it is a good thing. Whether people like it or not, there is a lot of money in the Arts for actors, directors, designers, lighting, sound engineers etc (and not all Arts Council funding). Just because we live in Oswaldtwistle it doesn't mean that some of our young people shouldn't have the best possible opportunities available. It is nothing like we 'had before' A-B. We don't have anything like this facility and this provision already. There are a few good youth groups but they don't offer training in behind the scenes skills - directing, sound, lighting, video etc that this facility will be offering. As for the name - Civic Arts Centre and Civic Theatre I think - Oswaldtwistle is part of the address. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
Oh I see, the bid failed and we don't qualify for "great art for all". Why does that not surprise me. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Gayle, I think that you had better take a look at the Haworth Art Gallery post before you answer this one.
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Has Gayle fallen off the planet? Hellooooo, anyone out there?????
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
What's the current situation with the proposed new carpark on the old Peel Court site? Surely it'll be much nedded with the increased footfall because of the arts centre.
Have the plans been passed? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I’ve taken so long to reply to this for a few reasons.
1. I wasn’t sure that anything I said would be believed or accepted as it’s very easy for some people to take a negative stance. 2. It’s very hard to express yourself on a forum like this, if I phrase something slightly ambiguously or confusing, I know it will be picked up and picked apart by some people. 3. Finally, I knew it wouldn’t be a short reply and I didn’t want to blaze into it and miss something out so that I could be accused of ‘hiding’ or ‘omitting important facts’. So, here goes Quote:
We didn’t get the £1.6m but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have ‘great art for all’. This is the flaw with publicising a funding bid too early. The media made a big deal about it and yes, it was nice for the council to say that they were going for the bid but ultimately we only ever had a ‘decent’ chance of getting it. (Same applied with the bid for Rhyddings Park that was a bid to a heritage pot). There were £540m worth of bids submitted for the pot and the lottery only had £190m to hand out. We went into it knowing that the application we were submitting was shoehorned to fit the funding pot and not a perfect match. So, instead being given credit for giving it a shot in the outside chance we might get it we have a ‘failed’ bid on our hands. The funding pot was not aimed at the arts, it was aimed at community centres. Whilst the Civic will be come a Arts Centre for the community, it was still a bit like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. But that’s what happens with lottery bids and if you look at the statistics up and down the county, only about 25% actually get the funding. We were going for £1.6m but in fact the lottery really wanted to support bigger, more impressive bids i.e. the £5m that it gave to the new facility in Blackburn. There again you have another possible reason we didn’t get it – why give us £1.6m when they’re ploughing £5m into a nearby town especially when they needed to spread the £190m throughout the country? Quote:
I’ve been working on this for two years. If truth be known I’ve actually been working on it for over 8 years. I first lobbied the council to do this when I was pregnant with Zack and he turned 8 this January. Over the last two years we’ve done our sums, we’ve written many reports, we’ve looked at it from all angles and we believe it is a viable project. I guess the only way that I can convince you that I have confidence that this will work is to go into my CV. Before I worked in the Arts I worked for a pharmaceutical company. When I took up my last job in that industry I inherited a department that was making £7m turnover, when I left a few years later it was making a £17m turnover. I am leading on the Arts Centre project and I have every faith that my figures are robust. Actually, just one correction to what I said before, it will be a ‘not for profit’ organisation. However, that doesn’t mean that it will make a loss, it has to make a profit to be ploughed back into it. I have spoken to 100s of people who believe in what we’re trying to do. I have spoken to the police, to schools, to local people, to members of community groups, to young people and to many more to find out whether there is the belief that this centre will work. And people are inspired and enthused by the idea. Quote:
Quote:
I have to completely disagree with you on this. There are a lot of talented people in the area who don’t have the outlets for their talent or sometimes the tools that they need to fulfil their destiny. Yes, there will be a lot of people who use the centre purely as a diversionary tactic i.e. something to do with your mates instead of hanging around the streets or watching tv, but equally there will be a lot of the talent channelled so that people can begin to believe that there is a future in this field for them. We’re suffering in this area from a brain drain, with people going away to college and not returning because there aren’t the interesting jobs in this area for them. This is an opportunity to bring something to the area that might inspire young people. Quote:
Not immediately but within a couple of years. We are currently offering Arts Awards which allow young people to get the equivalent of a GCSE. We will also be taking on one modern apprentice who will get their qualifications at Accrington and Rossendale College. Quote:
Local drama groups are great and provide a creative outlet for lots of people. However, if you look at most local drama groups, the average age is usually in the mid 40s, if you’re lucky. This is about getting young people into the centre and helping them to develop their careers in the arts. It’s about training, mentoring, passing down of skills and learning whilst having fun at the same time. It’s not just about performing arts. One of the first things that we’re doing is a photography project. We’re starting some of these projects now so that when the centre opens it will open with a core group established in some of the activities, it’s an old cliché but we want to ‘hit the ground running’. The photography project involves 14 young people working with a professional photographer over two days during the Easter holidays. These 14 and 15 year olds will be learning new skills, being occupied over the holidays and working with professionals in a field that they may wish to take up professionally themselves in a few years time. Quote:
I’m not tying myself up in knots about the name. It’s a centre for the whole of Hyndburn so therefore, the name has had Oswaldtwistle taken out of it. How can I answer your accusation that you’re being ‘short changed’? Clearly you don’t have faith in the project, well that’s fine, but a lot of people do. You’re welcome to come to the next meeting which is on 27th April at 7pm at Hippings Vale Community Centre, to join the board. I think it would be good if you did come along because if you believe that it will fail in its present format then we need people to tell us early on where we’re going wrong so that we can adjust the business plans so that it is a success. No one is going into this for it to fail, so we need to be clear about where you believe it will fail so that we can avoid that happening. Quote:
On another thread it was asked how much I get paid. I can’t find the post to copy and paste it. My contract is for £23k per annum. This is for three specific things – developing the Arts Centre, developing Arts in the area in general and organising outdoor events. Whilst you might look at that amount and think it’s a lot, I have to justify that I have brought three times that amount of funding (from the lottery and other sources) into the area in the last year. With £25k raised already this year. In the next few weeks we’ll also find out if more funding that I’ve applied for on behalf of the park has been awarded. I more than pay for myself. As an example. I went to a funding seminar a few weeks ago for a funding pot called Young Roots. It’s a lottery funding pot, for getting young people involved in projects looking at heritage and the history of the area they live in. Since the funding pot was launched, Hyndburn has received nothing from that pot – not one single bean. The reason is not because the groups in Hyndburn that are eligible are being turned back but because they’re not submitting the bids in the first place. Since the seminar I’ve got through phase 1 of the application process and the hope is that within three or four months the Arts Centre will be awarded £20,000 for heritage projects. That’s bringing money into the area and helping support local businesses, local services and local people. That £20,000 will buy the Arts Centre some video cameras, it will pay for professional video trainers to work with young people and it will pay for the production of professional films by young people. Just as a final addendum to this missive, as it’s already four pages long. Although the focus of the Arts Centre will be young people, it is not solely for young people. It will be offering choirs, creative writing course, book clubs, bollywood aerobics, back to acting training and much more. It will cater for people of all ages. In fact, at the last meeting I had a group of pensioners who want to be heavily involved. I’m not sure I can convince you of its viability but I hope I can convince you of my passion for it and my belief that this Arts Centre is long overdue in arriving and much needed. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Well think you covered everything there Gayle, but no doubt there will be those who are still not satisfied
|
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
However, in the interests of transparency, I think people have the right to know of her appointment, and role, because it would have added weight to her earlier proclamation... Quote:
My only question, that remains unanswered, would be was Gayle appointed to an existing job at H.B.C., or is it a totally new creation? I look forward to seeing a marked improvement in the quality of arts in the borough, and have no fears that she'll strive to do her best. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Quote:
When the Arts Council funding was awarded there was an application process for the role of Arts Consultant. This followed all the normal rules and regulations and is completely open and was advertised. I had to apply like everyone else. I don't know who else applied as that bit was kept confidential from me (naturally as you rarely know who you're up against at an interview). I got the job and the rest as they say, is history. Quote:
Just as an addendum to this. You might ask, why after doing this for two years is there not a marked improvement already? Whilst I would (naturally) argue that there has been some improvement already, all of these things take time - time to get funding in place, time to get networks in place and time to write plans and develop the ideas. Last year was a tester with the Year of Culture events, which provided extra Arts throughout the borough and showed what could work and what doesn't. August this year will be the watershed moment as things really start to come into being when the Arts Centre opens its doors. Funding for many projects is now in place, the building work has started (I got to chose the colour of the carpets on Thursday) and the programme of activity is starting to come together. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Thanks for answering my question.
I wish you continued success in improving the arts in Hyndburn, and don't doubt your determination to bring about the changes needed. |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
Ok, one last unrelated question.
Will the polling station be back in the Town Hall, after the work has finished, or will it be permanently be based at St. Paul's church? |
Re: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre
I will respond to Gayle's statement, but not tonight. I have to get up early to earn the money to pay the taxes that help to fund this latest Arty Jamboree. Strangely, Nigel Rix is very much at the front of my mind at the moment, wonder why?
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 03:30. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.1
© 2003-2013 AccringtonWeb.com