Conference 17: Theatres & Placemaking Programme
On 17 October 2017 Theatres Trust's Conference 17: Theatres & Placemaking brought together theatre operators, local authorities, planners, developers and architects to explore the role of theatres and wider cultural infrastructure within placemaking.
See the Programme below. View the list of Contributors. Find out which companies generously Sponsored the event.
9.30am Welcome
Jon Morgan, Director, Theatres Trust
Councillor Stephen Cowan, Leader, Hammersmith & Fulham Council
9.45am Placemaking in Context
What is placemaking and how do theatres and wider cultural infrastructure contribute?
Session Chair: Jon Morgan, Director, Theatres Trust
Dr Cara Courage is an Independent Researcher and Strategist at Futurecity - a leading culture and placemaking agency. She introduces the concept of 'placemaking' and the role of culture and cultural infrastructure in creating a successful place.
Paul Callaghan CBE, DL, FRSA, Chair of Live Theatre and Trustee of Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust, explores the role of culture within regeneration as part of the MACQ (Music, Arts and Cultural Quarter) project in Sunderland, whose vision will see the restoration of an important area of Sunderland, re-establishing the area’s previous importance as the Edwardian heart and soul of the city.
Anna Devlet, Head of Community at British Land and David Byrne, Artistic and Executive Director, New Diorama Theatre, describe their long term partnership, building and running the theatre as part of the Regent’s Place development to act as a creative hub, promoting cohesion and providing a resource for the entire community.
11.00am Break
11.30am Parallel Sessions
Parallel 1 – Civic Pride: Local Authorities & Cultural Placemaking
What are the benefits of investing in theatres and wider cultural infrastructure? What are the challenges for local authorities in protecting, adapting and building cultural buildings and how can they overcome them?
Session Chair: Ruth Eastwood, Chief Executive, The Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Ed Bayes Policy Officer, Culture at Risk, Culture and Creative Industries talks about how the Greater London Authority are protecting and promoting cultural buildings across London by embedding culture in placemaking and planning policy.
Graham Lister, Project Director for Storyhouse Chester and Councillor Louise Gittins, Deputy Leader of Cheshire West and Cheshire Council explain why and how they went about building support for and investment in the recently opened Storyhouse in Chester following the closure of the Gateway Theatre in 2007.
Ian Timms, Assistant Director for Business Development at Taunton Deane and West Somerset Council, Vanessa Lefrancois, Chief Executive, Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre and Tim Foster, MA Dip Arch (Cantab) RIBA, Partner, Foster Wilson Architects, discuss their plans for a new cultural quarter based around the redevelopment of the Brewhouse.
Parallel 2 – Cultural Citizens: Communities Putting Culture on the Map
How are local communities engaging in cultural placemaking through campaigning to protect theatres? What are the challenges they face and how can they overcome them? How can we encourage greater community involvement in cultural planning and placemaking?
Session Chair: Ann Skippers, Principal, Ann Skippers Planning
Brian Whiteley, Planning Advisor, Planning Aid, explains how communities get involved in neighbourhood and local plans and outlines how the arts sector could engage better with their communities around cultural planning and placemaking.
Daniel Rose, Executive Director, Mechanics’ Institution Trust introduces the work of his organisation, a social enterprise, building preservation and development trust, and their ambition to bring the Swindon Mechanics’ Institution back to life as a community-run theatre in a Grade II* listed building.
Hannah Garrow, Fundraising and Community Engagement Director, Leith Theatres Trust, talks about their success in the re-opening and animating of Leith Theatre in Edinburgh, and the inclusive role it is playing in providing a versatile space to encourage a vibrant creative hub as part of the regeneration of the Leith area and the community it serves.
Parallel 3 – People, Places & Spaces: Designing Democratic Theatres
How does a theatre building relate to its local community? How do the architecture and ethos of a theatre shape one another and how do they combine to create a sense of community ownership, belonging and identity?
Session Chair: Paddy Dillon, Director, Allies and Morrison
Damian Cruden, Artistic Director, York Theatre Royal and Angus Morrogh-Ryan, Director, De Matos Ryan Architects, discuss their recent award-winning transformation of the building, creating a porous, accessible space, and how this reflects and enables the inclusive ethos of the organisation.
David Watson, Associate Director, Rick Mather Architects, will discuss the recently completed Reuben Foundation Wing extension to the Lyric Hammersmith. Sian Alexander, Executive Director at the Lyric, will draw on her experience of overseeing capital projects and the mission and philosophy of the theatre.
Jatinder Verma MBE, Artistic Director, Tara Arts, and Julian Middleton, Executive Director, Aedas Arts Team, describe how they collaborated on an award-winning refurbishment of the theatre, which reflects the needs and identity of their local community in South West London.
12.45pm Lunch
1.45pm Parallel Sessions
Repeated 11.00am Parallel Sessions for details and speakers.
Parallel 1 – Civic Pride: Local Authorities & Cultural Placemaking
Parallel 2 – Cultural Citizens: Communities Putting Culture on the Map
Parallel 3 – People, Places & Spaces: Designing Democratic Theatres
3.00pm Break
3.30pm Report Back from Parallel Sessions
Session Chair: Jon Morgan, Director, Theatres Trust
3.50pm Future Partnerships: Strengthening Theatres and Placemaking
What would a future where theatres and cultural buildings are fully embedded in placemaking look like? How can we evidence the placemaking value of theatre buildings and who do we need to persuade? How can existing policy support this and what changes in policy would be needed? And how could stakeholders work across sectors to make this vision a reality?
Session Chair: Tim Jones, Head of Strategy, Futurecity
Short provocations from Anna Strongman, Partner at Argent and Deborah Aydon, Executive Director, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, followed by a panel discussion:
Deborah Aydon, Executive Director, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Ed Bayes. Policy Officer, Culture at Risk, Culture and Creative Industries, Greater London Authority
Richard Blyth, Head of Policy, Royal Town Planning Institute
Tim Foster, Partner, Foster Wilson Architects
Daniel Rose, Executive Director, Mechanics’ Institution Trust, Swindon
Anna Strongman, Partner, Argent
4.50pm Closing Thoughts
Session Chair: Jon Morgan, Director, Theatres Trust