OPINION: Theatres are at the heart of communities - David Bown, Harrogate Theatre

In early 2006 Harrogate Theatre was on its knees in many ways.
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There was a significant financial deficit and a council building that had seen little tender loving care since the mid 1970’s. Led by the remarkable Jim Clark, the board and staff of Harrogate (White Rose) Theatre Trust Ltd, the charity that leases the building, rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in.

In partnership with the borough council, we delivered a magnificent refurbishment, which helped to turn finances around and we haven’t looked back since. Dave Wilmore and his company, Theatre Search, were brought in to help with that project.

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Dave is a well-known figure in the theatre world and is a specialist in historical restoration. Dave had a very interesting article published in a number of national papers last week to acknowledge the 40th year since Curtains!

A New Life for Old Theatres, the renowned book he collaborated on, was first published. We met for coffee, and he pointed out that quite staggeringly, “85 per cent of the 1,000 Theatre Royals, Grands, Alhambra’s and Empires that flourished in Britain between 1900 and 1914 have been destroyed or irretrievably altered.”

Theatre is not a statutory service in a local authority portfolio - it understandably falls well behind social care, housing, welfare and more.

When it comes to revenue-funded services, the case for increasing the grant aid to theatres continues to be a difficult argument.

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However, investing in culture and performance is becoming increasingly more compelling as the Stockton Globe Theatre recently discovered. If a local authority resolves to deal with the inevitable capital issues and supports a commercial or charitable operator with a favourable lease, the immediate benefits for the local community are huge.

Large numbers of visitors return to the town centre during the evening, the secondary spend in the high street becomes significant and the audience reclaims the night.

Dave Wilmore worked on the Stockton Globe project and witnessed first-hand how local authority support in theatre and good planning can transform a town centre, while also offering so much more beyond its doors.

In 2012, the grade II listed Globe was forgotten and boarded up. “The council took up the reins in 2017,” Dave explained, “moving forward with a National Lottery Heritage Fund bid that was awarded through its Heritage Enterprise scheme.

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The project received £5.2m in alternative funding out of a total restoration cost of £28m. That’s a lot of money” admits Dave, “but it’s no longer just about the restoration of a theatre for performance, it really is about the regeneration of our declining high streets.

The independent figures support this statement. The gross value added after five years of operation is estimated at £38.3m and £80.5m after 10 years. They predict 256 jobs created, with 90 from direct operation and the supply chain and 166 from attendee spend.”

Here at Harrogate Theatre, we have recently received a major investment from the council. However, the last interior refurbishment was over 15 years ago, technology and public needs move on.

After a phenomenal amount of use over the past two decades, it’s time to revisit our pre-pandemic ambitions and examine how capital investment in the theatre’s facilities and physical accessibility, with our many stakeholders, can also contribute to the success of this wonderful town and its emerging events driven economic strategy.

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“Theatres are here to stay at the heart of our communities and should be celebrated,” Concludes Dave Wilmore. “They are community catalysts and will revive the soul of our high streets. An investment in a theatre, is an investment in the local economy.”