| Topic: | Re:Ealing needs an Arts Centre | |
| Posted by: | Eric Alan Leach | |
| Date/Time: | 26/01/11 14:38:00 |
| Last night 300 residents filled Victoria Hall in Ealing Town Hall to discuss turning the Town Hall into an Arts Centre. The previous Conservative administration and Council Officers were keen in 2009 and 2010 to encourage two arts-literate and committed local residents to run an Arts Centre in Ealing Town Hall. The Council gave £10,000 to the residents to develop a businees plan. The residents set up a social enterprise to create and run the Arts Centre. The current Labour administration and the same Council Officers now seem against this idea. They seem to want to create and run the Town Hall Arts Centre themselves. It was clear from the reactions of the audience that residents felt that this approach would not work. The Council has rejected the business plan in September 2010 but have still not provided any feedback on the contents of the business plan. The Council run Town Hall made a loss last year of £1.7 million - so the Council's own business plan for the Town Hall has failed. It was revealed last night that £1 million of 'Planning Gain' extracted from Dickens Yard developers St George has been allocated for creating a dance studio in the basement of the Town Hall. Who will run this is unclear but certainly not the two residents' organisation. Offers of help with a volunteer-led Arts Centre were offered at the meeting by Questors Theatre and TVU. The Councillor who has budget responsibility for Culture did not attend this meeting. It's clear to me that it's highly unlikely that Council Officers will galvanise the energies of the 300 residents who attended the meeting (and other residents) in order to create a viable, sustainable arts centre. A volunteer group, led by cultural enthusiasts, has a much better chance of attracting volunteer support. Without this support any arts centre venture will fail. A final note, the 300 strong meeting was organised and funded entirely by volunteers. |