ARTS AND CULTURAL HUB
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To be an attractive and vibrant town Wrexham needs a wide range of facilities and that includes facilities for the arts, sport and commerce. The town declined funding for a new theatre some years ago so I think the setting up of an “arts hub” is a way forward. It will presumably act as a catalyst for music, theatre, painting, photography, indeed the whole range of arts is possible given the right support.
It is true Wrexham has other theatres, but the Stiwt does not seem to attract a huge range of attractions and the William Aston Hall was designed as a concert hall rather than a theatre. Indeed having performed there many times, it is not ideal for plays, being long from the stage to the back of the rear stalls. It works for pantomime, opera, ballet and stand up comedy because they do not need the “intimacy” required by plays. Indeed the town has a third theatre in the Grove Park Theatre, but that has a small capacity and is well used for their own productions.
As for the earlier comment that people prefer to travel to Mold, it really belies the real reason. Theatre Clwyd is a world class “producing house”. It has initiated theatre which is critically acclaimed nationally. Because of arts funding cuts, it now takes in more touring productions, but they are the sort of productions Wrexham could never attract even with an arts hub. “People prefer to travel to Mold” is like saying football fans from Wrexham prefer to travel to Anfield or Old Trafford rather than the Racecourse. Truth is it’s a different product.
I think I should apologise to The Stiwt, for my previous comments. Having looked at their current programme, there is a range of plays, opera and music there. Welsh language performances too! However, in June, I think I counted just 9 performances.
You could always set up a consultancy and have the council pay you for your opinions…
http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY082521
http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY082891
Sorry to say as a Business Consultant (who does not charge £1000+ a day) the request for a Business Plan on Sell to Wales is one of the most bizarre ever seen by myself and colleagues.
How can anyone do a Business Plan to prove something is sustainable when the Council don’t yet know what the design and the features will be in the new building nor whether they will run it or set up a Trust. These variables will result on the most ineffective document that could not possibly be used for any business planning.
If it is to be a Trust then they as the managers need to be the owners of a Business Plan – if this does not happen then the whole project is destined to be doomed[quote quote=93898]To be an attractive and vibrant town Wrexham needs a wide range of facilities and that includes facilities for the arts, sport and commerce. The town declined funding for a new theatre some years ago so I think the setting up of an “arts hub” is a way forward. It will presumably act as a catalyst for music, theatre, painting, photography, indeed the whole range of arts is possible given the right support.
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Just to respond to these very reasonable comments. I was one of those who opposed vocally the Theatre…..not because I oppose a Theatre….but just the proposed Theatre. The devil on these things is always in the detail and the proposed Theatre several years ago was for 400 seats and to be based on the Yale Campus. 400 seats might sound promising but that compares to Llandudno’s 1500, Rhyl’s 1000 and the William Aston Hall’s 990. Consequently, when it comes to promoting the type of Acts that many would want to see in Wrexham, that would prove impossible. I now oppose the Arts Hub……not because I oppose an Arts Hub…..but because the whole idea is clearly half-baked, with no costings, no evaluation of target markets, no sense of the real impact on the Peoples Market, no equating of the Car Parking loss within the Peoples Market Car Park, and so on. Personally, I am always wary of Public Sector led initiatives and even the creative proposals put forward about the Hub fail to convince me that it will be anything but a white elephant. It appears driven by a Capital input (which might be lost) and I suspect that someone in the Council has been dazzled by the prospect of “free” money. As with the Theatre proposal, this causes all sense of proportion to disappear through the window.
[quote quote=93919]Wait for the Stiwts 90th Anniversary programme that will be out soon — fantastic variety
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Check out the attendance at the recent Real Thing gig in Rhos Dylan. Having a program might be one thing but having any Marketing nous whatsoever is another
[quote quote=94157]Sorry to say as a Business Consultant (who does not charge £1000+ a day) the request for a Business Plan on Sell to Wales is one of the most bizarre ever seen by myself and colleagues.
How can anyone do a Business Plan to prove something is sustainable when the Council don’t yet know what the design and the features will be in the new building nor whether they will run it or set up a Trust. These variables will result on the most ineffective document that could not possibly be used for any business planning.
If it is to be a Trust then they as the managers need to be the owners of a Business Plan – if this does not happen then the whole project is destined to be doomed[/quote]
Quite agree. If the Council don’t want to run a Market here, why not admit it…and sell the space into the Private Sector to be run. Private Sector money, as in the Eagles Meadow transfer will be profit driven and ensure that something positive occurs here. That said, I would offer the place to the NMTF (National Market Traders Fed) to see if anything can be developed
How many of you have seen the ‘temporary’ art gallery in the small shop by Chester Street– if the arts means so much for Wrexham why in earth have the Council stuck it in one of the smallest shop units in town. Any project such as this needs to attract lots of external funding by having a proven track record– why would any funder give hundreds of thousands to a project that has been devalued to almost a non existent gallery. This is totally crazy and flawed at every turning – bite the bullet and ditch the ideas and leave the art gallery scene to someone like David Gray and UndegUn.
It’s quiet clearly someone’s vanity project. A vanity project that is causing stress and unease amongst hard working business people.
But they don’t care as long as they get there ‘Bolivian left footed pipe playing dwarfs” to perform on a Saturday afternoon when most wrexhamites idea of art and culture is a cheap pasty and a drunken brawl.
I hope it amounts to nothing I really do. And when its scrapped it serves well as a text book reference for the future of how NOT to treat traders, The very people keeping you going. !!!
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