Council funding vital to “existence and the opportunities” at the Stiwt, says trustees

Trustees of a Grade II listed theatre building say the funding it receives from Wrexham Council is vital to its existence and the opportunities it provides.

At last month’s Wrexham Council Executive Board meeting, members agreed to continue the £30,000 a year support to the trust which runs the Stiwt Theatre in Rhos, including the delivery of a programme of Welsh cultural activities.

The Grade II listed building is owned by Wrexham Council, but the Stiwt Trust holds a 25 year lease and is responsible for repairs and maintenance. The lease was renewed in 2011 and has 15 years left to run.

Trustees have expressed their thanks for the continuation of the arrangement. The council has provided funding for a number of years now with the alternative of closing the building and putting it back in the council’s responsibility estimated to be far higher than the contributions required to keep it open thanks to the volunteer led trust.

Stiwt Theatre general manager Rhys Davies

Stiwt chair Brian Jones and general manager Rhys Davies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the money is hugely important to the upkeep of the Broad Street venue which is nearly a century old.

The venue was closed previously in 1977 but after a huge push from the community, reopened at the end of the 1990s.

As well as panto and theatre performances, the venue plays host to community groups making use of the facilities throughout the week, ranging from choir rehearsals to film screenings for care home residents.

Chair Brian Jones said: “I don’t know if people realise just how much goes on in the building and how much it means to the community.

“In the last 12 months the trustees and our heritage consultant have put a development plan in place listing all our priority jobs.”

One major job recently was restoring the clock tower to its former glory in time to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hafod Colliery closing, which took place in 2019 thanks to a host of donations.

General manager Rhys Davies said: “We were delighted when we had the news that the council had re-committed to the funding last month.

“We understand that money is pretty tight in all areas really, but we were happy that they felt the Stiwt was an important place for them to invest in.

“There is a lot of work to be done at the Stiwt. It’s an ongoing thing and there are many, many projects.”

Rhos Estate Office, the Stiwt, Wrexham

He added: “The building needs attention. We’ve had a look around this morning and there are plenty of areas that need taking care of – the windows for instance.

“We’ve got 77 windows so they will need attention over the next few months or so. We need to make sure there’s no water coming into the building which is a constant problem with the size of the building, the size of the roof.

“We’re going to be painting the auditorium hopefully early in the new year which would be fantastic as it’s not been painted since the 1990’s so it’s due a lick of paint or two.

“Hopefully we can bring it back to its former splendour.”

The Arts Council Wales also provides grant funding to the Stiwt, but this is ring-fenced for the direct delivery of activities and events.

Those activities which are delivered in the Welsh language is something the trustees are very keen to develop further.

As well as funding from the local authority, Rhos Community Council also provides the Stiwt with financial support of £6,000 per year. The Rhos Housing Estate office will also continue to be based in the building.

By Rory Sheehan – BBC Local Democracy Reporter