The Theatres Trust

Monty Python star Terry Jones reopens Theatr Colwyn

16th October 2011

Monty Python star Terry Jones has officially reopened Theatr Colwyn in his home town of Colwyn Bay, in Conwy. The venue, which opened in 1886, is said to be Britain’s oldest operating cinema, and recently underwent a £738,000 refurbishment. Jones has said he has a soft spot for the theatre where his family performed.

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Staffordshire New Vic Theatre funding to be monitored by council

16th October 2011

Funding for a Staffordshire theatre could be more closely monitored in the future by local councillors. Newcastle Borough Council gives the New Vic Theatre an annual grant – this financial year, almost £100,000. Given the size of the grant, councillors are currently looking at how the theatre’s trust uses the money and what impact it has. It is part of a review by the local authority of its grants to the voluntary and community sector (CVS).

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£4million appeal for Newcastle People's Theatre redevelopment funding

15th October 2011

A theatre company celebrating its centenary is looking ahead to the next 100 years with ambitious refurbishment plans. The management committee of the People’s Theatre has launched a £4m centenary appeal aimed at transforming the look of the building.

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The decision is made: Chester’s iconic Odeon building will house new theatre

15th October 2011

The curtain has fallen on the last act of a two-year drama to launch Chester’s long-awaited cultural revival. A 74-strong ‘cast’ last night voted overwhelmingly in favour of the former Odeon Cinema as the site of Chester’s new theatre. For more than two years, council members and public have engaged in animated debate about the proposed location of the new theatre, with the iconic former Odeon and Little Roodee battling it out to the end.

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Glasgow Citizens’ chairman resigns after dramatic tenure

15th October 2011

The chairman of one of Scotland’s best known theatrical venues, the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, has stepped down after leading a period of radical change. Murray Buchanan resigned from the position of chairman citing a hectic schedule and the sense his work was done at the Gorbals theatre, overseeing changes at board level and in the crucial artistic director role in the past 18 months.

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Charcoalblue sees Newcastle’s Theatre Royal restored and reopened

14th October 2011

Newcastle’s Theatre Royal reopened its doors to the public on Monday 12th September following an extensive £5 million restoration project. The complex renovation drew on the theatrical expertise UK theatre consultants, Charcoalblue.

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Edward Snape backs calls for theatre tax breaks

14th October 2011

Independent theatre producer Edward Snape has become the latest high profile figure to call for improved tax incentives for theatre investment in the UK. Writing in this week’s Stage, Snape claims that the Treasury needs to encourage “private angels to engage with arts funding by offering clear and progressive tax incentives” and follows calls from both Arts Council England and Society of London Theatre president Mark Rubinstein for US-style tax breaks on investment.

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Liverpool historic Central Hall reopens as The Dome

14th October 2011

A new entertainment venue is set to open in one of Liverpool’s historic buildings. The Dome, a 1,200-seat space, is due to open in November inside Central Hall on Renshaw Street. The Grade II listed building originally opened as a Methodist church in 1905 and still features the 100-year-old pipe organ. Director Sean Finney said he hoped to host a mixture of shows including bands, theatre and comedy.

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Michael Boyd and Vikki Heywood to leave Shakespeare Company

14th October 2011

Michael Boyd is to leave his post as the artistic director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The 56-year-old joined the RSC in 1996 as an associate director, and was appointed to his current role in 2002. He oversaw the £112m renovation project to the Stratford-upon-Avon theatres and the RSC’s 50th birthday. In a statement, he said his “chief co-conspirator” Vikki Heywood, the RSC’s executive director, would step down at the same time.

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Press Release: A final call for cultural responses to NPPF – The Theatres Trust’s Submission

14th October 2011

For immediate release. Consultations on the Government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework close on Monday 17 October. The draft is currently silent on culture, the arts and theatres.

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